


The Yellow Dyad

by YuunaFiction



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Eventual Sannin stuff, F/M, Family Fluff, Fix-It, I do what I want, Jiraiya and Naruto's got serious issues, M/M, Male Friendship, Massive headaches, Mina/Naru, MinaNaru - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut is part of LYFE, Time Travel, lots of fluff, questionable morals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-07 01:22:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 74
Words: 317,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11612991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YuunaFiction/pseuds/YuunaFiction
Summary: After Sasuke finally snapped for the second time and destroyed the village(again), Naruto and Jiraiya have had about enough of the colossal mess the world has turned into. With a seal and a bit of guesswork the two of them pull their resources together and say adios to their timeline and jump backwards. The Sannin have never felt better, twenty-one years old and healthy as a horse. Naruto on the other hand.. not so much. Why? He's nine and short.Mina/Naru





	1. Man, not puberty again..

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't help myself. I had to write it. This is going to be a loooong fic!
> 
> Some warnings:  
> If you don't like Minato/Naruto then don't read it~  
> In my stories nothing is sacred and if you get easily offended by stuff then I don't care :D  
> I'm not a native English-speaker so there might be several grammar mistakes and errors. Sometimes I miss a couple of things. I'd be happy to correct them if you ask nicely :3  
> I don't own Naruto, but everything in this story that isn't from the original work is mine. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Edit: Dear readers. My Beta and I are currently in the process of editing every single chapter in this fic. This includes polishing it by removing some unnecessary things while adding small tidbits of info here and there. However, as of right now, the plan is to edit all of the chapters first and update them all at once. If this changes, however, I will clearly state on each and every chapter if that part has been edited or not. If you happen to find yourself unhappy with the current version, why don't you bookmark it and come back later? It may have been edited by then. Thank you for your patience. 
> 
> Lots of cuddles and love xx

In front of a twenty-one-year-old Jiraiya and a nine-year-old Naruto sat an old man with white hair with red tips from long years of stubborn growth. No doubt it wouldn't grow much more considering the old man was almost eighty years old.

"So," the old man repeated slowly. "You come from the future and have gone back in time to 'fix everything'. You," he pointed at Jiraiya, "A legendary Sannin- train you," his finger moved to Naruto, "the Rokudaime Hokage. A half Uzumaki of one Uzumaki Kushina. And you arrived using this fuinjutsu seal." His gaze fell to the unraveled scroll on his desk. The seal was complex but he was the Uzukage, an Uzumaki and a seal master. Needless to say, he fully understood what the seal was capable of doing. But that didn't mean that it was any less incredible.

"Yup." Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets. "Pretty much sums it right up."

The old man put his elbows on the desk, fingers massaging his temples and eyes clutched shut, the mother of all headaches beginning to form.

"You two do realize you've just made  _and_  used a time travel seal, right?" 

"Yup." The two chorused.

"So the future is in the hands of you two."

"Yup."

The Uzukage took a deep breath that was a little too strained. "Right."

The old man let his gaze wander over the young man with white hair, a pinky finger in his ear and eyes to the windows, the young Hokage swaying back and forth on his heel with hands in his pockets, both looking more bored than anything.

'Heaven help us all.' The Uzukage mourned silently. "So what exactly do you want from me?"

"You believe us?" Naruto asked a little surprised.

The old man held up the scroll, "I'm a seal master. I can tell it's real and that it's been used. However, I'm also the Uzukage and know that information never comes without a cost, so- what do you want from me?"

"It's rather simple actually." Jiraiya said simply, "We want you to register Naruto inside of the village as a legitimate Uzumaki. After all, he  _is_  an Uzumaki- albeit only half. I'm also to be his adoptive father since we're going to Konoha where we're going to live. In exchange, you get to know about the future of your village."

It wasn't a bad deal. Quite the opposite. Forging documents was easy enough and even easier if it was true that Naruto was an actual Uzumaki. And judging by the massive chakra reserves then he didn't doubt that he was one. He had to withhold a smirk at the knowledge that an Uzumaki became the  _Hokage_. But as good as it all sounded, there was one thing that concerned him, "Uzushio is a neutral country. We have no direct enemies."

"The world doesn't care. Uzushio is a threat." Naruto's gaze locked on the old man. His eyes turned to steel and for the first time, the Uzukage could see the sort of man the boy used to be, a leader, a  _Kage_.

He frowned, "War?"

"Destruction." Jiraiya corrected, "Uzushio was burned to ash along with all of its citizens. Naruto was the last of the Uzumaki."

His lips parted, the colour in his face drained, and his eyes shone with horror, "Destroyed?"

"By Kiri and Iwa. They join forces and destroy you." Jiraiya confirms.

"How long do I have?" He asks grimly.

"Eight months." The Uzukage paled even more, "However this time Konoha will aid you. Last time they took you by surprise and the calls for help was intercepted and stopped. Konoha never received news of what happened until Uzushio was already gone. We won't let that happen this time."

"I see." His eyes hardened before they flickered to the boy who raised a hand.

"I forgot." He added awkwardly, "I'm also the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. Although he's currently napping. He's tired after using up his chakra with the seal."

"What?" The old man's voice was completely flat.

"Yeaaah. Kurama is actually a pretty decent guy and since we're friends and all that he was kind of wondering if you'd mind if he got the rest of his chakra sealed inside of me. I only have half since I became a Jinchuuriki when I was newborn and wasn't big enough to contain all of him at the time. He's a bit grumpy about it. Said something about missing a limb and four tails." Naruto shrugged, "He'd rather not be sealed inside of Uzumaki Kushina again since she was really annoying and he doesn't like her monthly mood-wings. Plus she was kinda mean and kept him chained up like a dog."

The old man's mind was reeling, and before he could even stop himself he walked around the desk and knelt down before him, "Do you mind?"

Naruto shook his head and pulled up his shirt, focused a bit of chakra to his stomach and then felt how the seal became visible.

He'd never seen anything like it. His eyes trailing over the seal that was masterfully done. A fuinjutsu seal weaved by the Shinigami using someone's life-force. It was one of the strongest seals there was and the seal was also  _open_. It wasn't locked but like a door swung wide open and chakra moving back and forth without the usual concern of the bijuu sucking the boy's chakra and reserves, something that would  _kill_  him. Naruto wasn't lying. He  _had_  to be telling the truth and now he had the last bit of proof he needed.

The two of them was from the future, one of whom was a legendary Sannin and trained the future's Hokage, the other the Hokage and friends with the  _Kyuubi_. Not to mention bringing news of Uzushio's destruction.

"The Kyuubi will be sealed within you once Mito-sama is ready to pass. It shouldn't be more than a few weeks at this rate, you've come at a very opportune moment. I'll also see to your papers Naruto-san." He stood up and walked towards his seat again, "Your mother is an Uzumaki who died in childbirth while your father is an unknown fisherman who died at sea. Jiraiya-san took you in and raised you along with training you in the Shinobi arts."

A small smile tugged at the Konoha ninjas lips before they bowed at the old man, "Uzukage-sama."

He nodded, "I'll advise you to stay in town until the adoption papers are confirmed and completed. We currently plan to send the next Kyuubi Jinchuuriki to Konoha but since you'll take up that title once more but officially this time- that job will fall on to you. Kushina will stay in Uzu as well. Do you wish to become the official Jinchuuriki before or after your adoption?"

"After." Naruto said, "Otherwise the council will bitch and claim the old man set it up to give Ero-sennin more power and influence. Best to keep it as a coincidence. If possible it would be best to say that I've been residing in Uzu for most of my childhood and only stayed with him when he traveled. The more ingrained in this village I can appear then the better it is and the fewer questions will be asked. I'd also like one of the Uzushio Shinobi to become my 'teacher' since I'm far from the level of a mere Genin. It will give me an alibi for my skills."

"Very well."

With those two words, the group parted for the day. There was much to be done, and all three was determined to complete it with nothing short of perfection.

 

* * *

 

"Nervous?" Jiraiya teased.

Naruto snorted, "Hardly. Hopefully, the old fuzzball will wake up with the second half of his chakra."

"Won't he be much bigger than normal? You'll have one and a half Kyuubi inside of you."

"Nah." Naruto shook his head, "But I'll have to go out and blow something up with a couple of bijudama's to get rid of the excess chakra. I'll get a chakra overload otherwise. It shouldn't regenerate because Kurama's reserves don't expand and can't store more than his reserves allow- not that he actually needs to"

"I see. Well, that's a relief."

"Agreed."

The door opened to the large chamber. Inside of the dimly lit room was four elders, Mito-sama and the Uzukage. At the center was a large alter fit for two people and spreading several yards in all directions was a massive seal.

Naruto moved forward and without question laid down on the altar next to Mito while Jiraiya moved to the side of the room. He wouldn't interfere in such a delicate sealing ritual even if you paid him.

"Are you ready Naruto-kun?" Mito asked softly, her voice weak but kind as her eyes locked with his

"I'm ready, Mito-sama. Thank you for entrusting me with Kurama. I'll keep him safe, I promise."

A soft smile spread itself over her lips while her eyes turned wistful, "It would seem that you've already done a much better job than myself. I harbor nothing but fear for the creature but I can see now that my treatment of Kurama-sama as been unjust and unfortunate. Perhaps one day he will forgive me for my naivety."

She watched how his eyes suddenly became unfocused as if though listening to something in the distance. "He wants to say something to you." He then said.

Mito failed to hide her surprise but nodded with hesitance.

His sapphire eyes turn the color of rubies and his pupil slit. The whisker like scars on his cheeks widened and his teeth sharpened. Mito had to suppress a chill from running down her spine at the fearful sight of the previously kind-looking boy.

Naruto's voice came out dark and profound. Far too dark to be human,  **"Mito."**  Kurama spoke as Mito swallowed audibly.  **"I won't forgive you for treating me as a prisoner and condemning me for existing."**  The old woman flinched, **"But I will forgive you for sealing me."** Her eyes widened,  **"If you did not then Madara would have never released me and I would never have met the kit."**  Tears began to burn behind her eyes,  **"May you fare well and travel safely past the Veil."**

"T-thank you Kurama-sama."

It was in the moment that Kurama nodded and allowed Naruto to regain control that the elders and the Uzukage in the chamber finally understood that sealing the Kyuubi within Naruto was the best choice for everyone. While it was true that they were hesitant despite the Uzukage's urging- seeing the actual nature of the Kyuubi with their own eyes and the apparent friendship the boy and the bijuu shared- they couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude and fortune that Naruto was willing to carry the burden for them.

"We're ready." The Uzukage said, and the two of them nodded, hands moving to interlock before they closed their eyes, one of them for the last time.

 

* * *

 

The sound of crashing waves and crying seagulls raged outside of the ship as Naruto, Jiraiya, and Uzumaki Arashi, the Uzukage to be and the only other person in the know of the young men's real identities, sat under the deck to avoid the terrible storm outside. Naruto was pale as death, sweaty and groaning from pain.

Arashi was concerned for the boy(or man) and gnawed the inside of his cheek. His eyes flickered over to Jiraiya who flipped to the next page of his page, a lecherous grin on his face and twinkling eyes. He was also completely ignoring his student who was in obvious pain.

"Should you..?" Arashi cleared his throat and gestured to Naruto, "Is he okay?"

Jiraiya peeked over his book and followed the man's pointed finger. He rolled his eyes and threw one of his books at the boy, "Oi, you dying kid?"

Naruto groaned and rolled over, "Are we there yet?" His stomach then rumbled, "I'm  _dyiiiing_!"

"Don't be so dramatic brat."

"Dyiiiiiiiiing!!"

"Well, you sure talk a lot for a dying man." He then smirked, "Or  _kid_."

Naruto scowled despite the pain and cold sweat he'd received from the chakra overloading his system, "Fuck off Ero-sennin, or I'll use you as the target for my bijudama."

Jiraiya snorted loudly, "You ain't got shit on me  _brat_. You're my  _son_  now, so you better watch it or I'll ground your ass for a  _month_."

A loud groan and an angry hiss escaped the boy as a shelf of books tumbled over from the violent rocking of the ship, "You can't ground me! I'm the Hokage!"

"Not anymore~."

" _Bastard_!"

Meanwhile, Arashi's eyebrows were touching his hairline and he couldn't quite suppress the twitching from the corner of his lips. The two of them was a riot together and all they ever seemed to do was bicker and argue with one another. But it was pretty funny considering they were both much older in mind than body and also how Jiraiya would completely disregard the fact that Naruto was actually a real Kage and pull the ' _I'm your parent now!'_ whilereading porn. Not to mention he did it with a straight face. Arashi had a sneaking suspicion that Naruto cared as much about Jiraiya's parenting rules as the Sannin did about the male gender. Not a whole lot in other words. Needless to say, they weren't exactly all that compatible as parent and child. He was eternally thankful that he didn't have to tell people about them  _or_  be the one to tell others how Jiraiya came to adopt Naruto. That'd be an awkward conversation.

The door to the hut swung open, and a sailor stumbled in, arms outstretched to keep himself from falling, "We're there!"

Arashi nodded and stood up, "Get everyone under the deck and don't go up until I give you the signal."

"Ay!"

The man stumbled out of the room, balancing himself in the narrow corridors before he rounded the corner.

"Alright then!" Jiraiya snapped his book shut and walked up to the bed where Naruto pushed himself up, "Time to blow something up kid."

"Finally!"

The man threw him up over his shoulder and followed the redhead out of the room and all the way up on the deck.

The storm was merciless and loud. Also perfect for what they intended to do. A bijudama bomb going off in the middle of the sea would attract attention but with the cover of lightning and roaring thunder, it would be hard to separate the carrying sound. The boat rocked from side to side, waves of water crashing down on the deck and would have washed the three of them away if it wasn't for the chakra under their feet that forced them to stick to the wood.

Naruto stumbled to his feet, swaying dangerously while simultaneously making a Rasengan in his hand to quickly get some of his chakra away and out of his system. It wouldn't be much but just enough for him to quickly get his focus back and switch to his chakra cloak.

The Rasengan kept growing larger and large as Jiraiya and Arashi backed off far enough to not get in the way.

While the technique drew a lot of chakra it wasn't nearly as much as Naruto needed. He grits his teeth, forcing wind chakra into the massive sphere as well. The drain was bigger, making thinking a lot more bearable. Still, he wouldn't be able to throw it like this but that was easily fixed.

Kurama focused his chakra to Naruto's hand, shielding it as the boy pulled his arm back and sent the massive sphere out over the sea while attached to a golden claw of chakra.

Arashi watched the small planet disappear between the waves and how the Kyuubi's chakra withdrew and disappeared from his form. Suddenly the ship began to shake violently from side to side, the sea quaking underneath their feet. Then it stopped.

Naruto slipped into his chakra cloak, golden fire wrapping around him like a second skin and steadily draining his massive chakra reserves away. It was with a loud sigh of relief that he begun to form a large bijudama in his hands and then threw it away towards the horizon.

So it continued, bijudama after bijudama sailed over the raging sea and detonated like spheres of doom while the sea itself pulled and tugged at the ship that was miraculously in one piece.

Both Jiraiya and Arashi felt enormous relief to have the man on their side at that moment. Being on the receiving end of those attacks was something they'd rather not experience.  _Ever_.

Naruto, on the other hand, was having some difficulties with maintaining his chakra cloak. It wasn't until Kurama explained that his small size and developing body still wasn't suited to yielding the full extent of his power yet, that he understood that his chakra cloak was off limits until he was at least sixteen. His muscles were nowhere near as strong and his body far more fragile. Even his chakra control needed work as the former finesse he had was practically gone.

Yay for the tree climbing...

At the very least he knew he was still capable of using his skills along with sage mode. That was the only thing aside from his regular arsenal that he would have to keep to in the meantime. Nothing much he could do about that.

It wasn't all bad. It was kind of fun tossing bijudama bombs around and blowing shit up!

 

* * *

 

It was different.  _Very_  different from Uzu and even the old Konoha. For one, the main gate was  _orange_. Sure, the color was Naruto's favorite but the thing didn't exactly spell 'stealth' in a  **green**  forest. If not green then they could have at least painted it brown or something.

But aside from that, a wave of nostalgia washed over him upon seeing the familiar streets he grew up on. It is hard to remember how the village used to look prior to Pein's invasion. Now that he walked the streets it almost felt like he'd found his long lost favorite shirt and realized that it still fit. It was a great feeling, warmth, and happiness soaring in his chest and a smile unable to remain hidden.

It was home. Home as it should always have been and from now on always will be.

Jiraiya was of similar thoughts. While he was practically a cripple back then, or in the future or however one would like to say it- the feeling of being able to walk again was indescribable and being able to  _fight_  even more so. He'd been useless after Pein's invasion because of his own recklessness. Had he not gotten his spine broken he might have been able to help them win the war faster or even prevent it the first time around and maybe even preventing Sasuke from leveling the village a second time. He wouldn't allow any of that this time.

He'd do anything to stop it from happening. Kill Orochimaru and even poison Mikoto herself and preventing her from ever giving birth to the blasted boy if he had to. Naturally, he'd go the diplomatic path first but he was ready to stain his hands if he had to. If it meant to prevent the awful things that were coming in the future then so be it. One innocent Uchiha's life was a small price to pay when the lives of every single soul in the village were at stake.

Still, that wasn't for many years to come. Perhaps it would never even happen, but the point was; he was ready should the time come.

But the most pressing issue right now was trying to explain to the old man why he suddenly had a son. He was hard pressed to make up a believable story about that. Didn't help that word had already reached Hiruzen about Naruto being the Jinchuuriki. Although he wasn't certain of what the message from the Uzukage said and what had already been explained to the Hokage. Still, he wasn't really looking forward to it. It was bound to be _awkward_.

Naruto and Jiraiya expertly ignored all and every single person that stopped to stare at the two. The two came to the conclusion that word must have spread already. How- they didn't really want to know. Probably a nosy secretary or something. Still, it would make breaking the news to Hiruzen all the easier. If not slightly more sheepish.   
  
The two entered the Hokage building and stopped. The secretary was covering her mouth and trying to avoid eye-contact, the two Chunin next to her snickered and glanced their way, Jiraiya narrowed his brows, Naruto sighed and then-  
  
"HAHAHAHAHA!!!! NO WAY!!"  
  
Jiraiya soldiered forward and turned the corner towards the Hokage's office where he could hear Tsunade's hysterical laughter. With every ounce of his pride on the line, he held his head up high and entered. The laughter grew louder, and to his dismay, even Orochimaru looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.  
  
It didn't take a genius to figure out why Tsunade was laughing, Orochimaru looked strangely smug and why Hiruzen was letting out a long-suffering sigh at the mere sight of them.   
  
"Hime. Orochi-teme. Sensei." Jiraiya spoke stiffly, desperate to cling to his dignity.   
  
Naruto merely shoved a pinky finger into his ear and looked at the three Hokage portraits on the wall, completely blocking out all and every indignant sound coming from his 'father'. He could deal with the lot of them.  
  
While the old man tried to convince the three others in the room of why him being a father wasn't a bad thing and that his stupid habits wouldn't rub off on him- Naruto occupied himself with staring at the picture of the Sandaime. The man was far younger-looking than he remembered. Mostly because the old man actually had hair on his head and it wasn't gray. He also didn't have that bloody mole on his face. The damn thing was always so distracting. Perhaps if he gave the old Kage a lotion he could prevent it from appearing? Although the thought of a nine-year-old- almost ten-year-old boy giving a forty-five plus man lotion didn't exactly look that good. Pedophilia and all that. He grimaced.  Better to buy the old bastard a ticket to the spa or something.   
  
"-ruto!"  
  
The sound of voices forced the young Hokage to snap his mind back to moderate attention.   
  
Everyone was looking at him expectantly.   
  
"Sorry, you say something?"   
  
Tsunade snorted, Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose, Hiruzen sweat-dropped but an amused smile on his lips while Orochimaru suddenly connected the dots of why his teammate even adopted the boy in the first place; he was just as big of an idiot as Jiraiya.  
  
"I asked," Hiruzen's eyes shimmered with mirth, "How are you finding Konoha Naruto-kun?"  
  
Ah. He's not supposed to have been here before. Well shit. "Erm. Lot's of trees.. and stuff," he said intelligently, and Jiraiya let out a groan.   
  
"Trees!?"  
  
Naruto gave his father a blank stare, "Uzu is an island in the middle of nowhere, I've gutted fish for a living, and I woke up with a seaside view every morning. Yes, idiot,  _trees_."  
  
Orochimaru smirked, amused and a bit surprised at the witty comment from a mere nine-year-old. Tsunade beamed, "I like this brat."  
  
"Cheeky little shit," Jiraiya grumbled and frowned at the wall that seemed to offend him with its mere presence.   
  
Hiruzen chuckled, "Do you have any ideas of what you want to do now? Any dreams for the future?"   
  
He was well aware that Naruto was the Jinchuuriki and that he'd been chosen due to his connection with Jiraiya and thus his loyalty to the leaf, but he didn't want the boy to feel forced in to becoming a shinobi if he didn't want to.   
  
"I want to be a shinobi."  
  
The man mentally snorted. _Of course, he'd want to be a ninja._ "The life of a shinobi can be hard Naruto-kun."  
  
"I can deal."  
  
Tsunade raised a brow, "Confident, aren't you?" she wasn't very impressed by the slight show of arrogance from the boy. The life of a shinobi wasn't easy, and death walked hand in hand with every mission they accepted.  
  
"He'll be fine," Jiraiya reassured a little too confidently and nonchalantly.   
  
"How do you know that?" Orochimaru raised a single brow in obvious scepticism.   
  
Jiraiya shrugged, "He's already at the level of a jounin."  
  
Tsunade snorted loudly, but at her teammate's utterly serious face she quickly frowned and turned to look at Naruto who also didn't seem all that amused either. Her gaze flickered to her other teammate who seemed thoughtful and curious and then to her sensei who looked a tad bit surprised as well. "You can't be serious."  
  
"Perfectly."   
  
"When did you start your training Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru asked, intrigued.   
  
Naruto hummed, "When I was four, I guess. I didn't go to the academy. Didn't have to cuz I learned from watching the shinobi in the village. And then I had Maki-sensei show me some things when I got stuck. And the old man of course."  
  
"Oi, I'm not that old!"   
  
"Fine,  _Ero-sennin_." Naruto shrugged but the was a sliver of mischief in his eyes and Hiruzen couldn't help but smile at the two.   
  
"Ero-sennin.." Tsunade shook her head incredulously. There wasn't a name more fit for her teammate than that. Though it was quite surprising that the boy could call him that and get away with it.   
  
"Yeah! And don't forget it!" Jiraiya pointed at the kid with a proud grin on his face, and the blond only gave him a flat stare.   
  
Then again, Tsunade mentally sighed, the man was a bloody moron on the best of days.   
  
"I'm afraid I won't be able to give you the rank of jounin without seeing how you work Naruto-kun," Hiruzen cleared his throat and went back to business, "However if you go through a test, then I can grant you the chunin rank. I take it Jiraiya that you will take him on as your apprentice?"  
  
"Yup." the Sannin agreed, "Could always shove him in a genin team thought."  
  
" _Excuse me?_ " Naruto cracked his knuckles and smiled sweetly at his  **father**.   
  
"Or not." Jiraiya took a step back as Orochimaru, Tsunade and Hiruzen blinked slowly. The man was  _whipped_  by a nine-year-old boy.   
  
"It's not a bad idea." Hiruzen then said as he smiled down at the boy, "Jiraiya was meant to take on a genin team next year. If anything it might help you make some friends around your own age even if you're more talented than a mere genin.   
  
Naruto scratched his chin in thought, the display looking far more endearing than it normally would have if he wasn't nine years old but rather forty and sitting behind the desk he now stood in front of. He then nodded, "I guess that would be alright. I need D-ranks for a normal promotion anyway, right?"  
  
"That's true. You do need a certain amount of missions for a promotion. Although your case would be slightly different. But first, you'll have to go through a couple of tests."  
  
The boy waved it off, "That's fine. I can do D-ranks to kill some time anyway. It's no problems. When will I do the tests?"  
  
All hail shadow-clones! Not that he'd tell the others about that.   
  
"I'm sure I can arrange for it to take place tomorrow morning." he pulled out a note and pen, writing something down and then putting it on the side of his desk, "Be back here at eight and we'll get those tests started."  
  
"Cool."  
  
Jiraiya popped his shoulder and rolled his arm, "Well, I don't know about you lot, but I'm hungry. Dinner Naruto?"  
  
"Ramen."  
  
"No."  
  
"Dammit."  
  
The two of them left through the open window and didn't spare the others more than a small parting wave of their hands.   
  
The room fell silent. Hiruzen was thoughtful while Tsunade briefly wondered if she'd sniffed some odd medicinal concoction and started hallucinating. Meanwhile, Orochimaru felt he could use something to eat himself when he thought about it.   
  
"Well, that was interesting."


	2. Two Toads One Mountain

Jiraiya was beaming, laughing and snorting in amusement. Cackling like he knew something others didn't.   
  
Orochimaru was very intrigued and briefly wondered if the boy had a brother he could adopt.  
  
Tsunade was staring shamelessly with her mouth half open and eyes wider than should be considered advised. 

Hiruzen didn't really know what to say more than that he was pretty confident that neither Naruto nor Jiraiya had joked around when they said the young boy was on par with jounin.   
  
_The boy was a bloody beast!_  
  
So far Naruto had knocked out four genins, piece of cake. Six chunin, poor souls and three jounin whom were currently mending their ego's rather than their wounds. Chances were those three wouldn't be showing their faces around Naruto, the Sannin or the Hokage anytime soon.  
  
_Humiliation._  
  
The Hokage had seen many things during his rather long life, and prodigies were among them, so he wasn't all that surprised. Instead, he took the time to go through the boy's skills.   
  
Naruto was talented, fiercely so. His taijutsu wasn't the standard academy style from either Konoha or Uzushio. It was closer to that of a brawler style with feints and quick jabs when you thought yourself to be confident in his speed. Which was another thing entirely. Naruto was fast, really fast and his taijutsu played to those strengths. He used a style that was far slower than he was and because of that his opponent couldn't get a read on him when he suddenly struck out and floored them.   
  
Unpredictability. Naruto's continuous use of shadow-clones was only testament to his incredible chakra-reserves and the control he'd managed to acquire so far. An Uzumaki through and through. But even Hiruzen had never seen shadow-clones used in such a way that the Uzumaki boy did. It simply wasn't a style you  _could_  use since the chakra needed was far too large to even become viable. But with the kid being a Jinchuuriki on top of an Uzumaki.. he shuddered. The mere thought of the amount of chakra the boy possessed unnerved him.  
  
Still, it was an impressive fighting-style. Naruto could henge and transform his clones to anything and everything. He could even kawarimi with them and nobody would be the wiser for it. The fact that the boy could just overwhelm his opponents wasn't lost on Hiruzen even if Naruto didn't openly use that tactic on his shinobi. Yet he was acutely aware that he  _could_  if he wanted to. There was no doubt that skill-wise the boy was already a tokubetsu in regards to ninjutsu.   
  
Genjutsu would be too much of a stretch for most Uzumaki so he didn't expect much there. With the already humongous reserves, the boy possessed it wouldn't be surprising if he couldn't make a single one, not that he could blame him for it.   
  
His accuracy and aim was spot on, nothing to criticize. His tactical and strategic mind was hard to miss with the countless plans the boy made up on the fly. Hiruzen had no doubt that the Nara would be intrigued with the kid if they learned what he could do.   
  
What he couldn't see was his leadership skills, but he suspected that with some practice and field experience that would quickly be rectified.   
  
The Hokage winced when another jounin grumbled to the ground underneath the boy who held a kunai to his throat. The boy's stamina was ungodly.   
  
"He's never been a paper-ninja." Jiraiya stopped the various lines of thoughts of his teammates and sensei. "He's the type that learns by doing, observing and trying until it sticks no matter how grueling it is. His chakra control is bad but his reserves are larger than all four of us together. He'll never be a medic, or a genjutsu specialist. But he is a powerhouse and with the potential of being a ninjutsu-expert. He also dabbles in fuinjutsu when it's interesting enough and he's already working on his own signature move. His very own ninjutsu technique."  
  
"The boy is skilled enough to create his own techniques?"  
  
Jiraiya nodded to their shock and surprise, "It's not completed, only partially. He calls it the 'Rasengan', derived from the appearance of a bijudama. Even the incomplete version is powerful and he was kind enough to teach me how to do it." He grinned and held out his hand, a sphere of chakra forming in his hand the size of a football.   
  
Orochimaru leaned closer, eyes squinting as his gaze narrowed in on the flow of chakra. Tsunade gaped a little wider while Hiruzen blinked before turning to the boy in the field who fought yet another jounin. "This is chakra shape manipulation." Orochimaru said, eyes widening in disbelief. "How is a boy of _nine_  able to manipulate chakra to this level?"  
  
The sphere shrunk until it completely disappeared from Jiraiya's hand, "From what I know it only started out as a mere idea after seeing a bijudama in a book. Apparently he asked his old sensei Maki;  _'Why do you have to be a bijuu to make one?'_  so he simply tried to make one from his own chakra. Which actually worked after a couple of years. The kids a genius when he actually tries. The ideas that kid can come up with is incredible." he then snorted, "And the bloody thing isn't even completed. It takes everything I've got to focus on making one Rasengan but Naruto plans to add elemental chakra to it when he's got the time and opportunity. He's a wind nature as well. Can you even imagine the destructive force behind  _one_  of those when it's actually completed?"  
  
Tsunade involuntarily shuddered but thankfully nobody noticed or she'd never live it down. Meanwhile Orochimaru hummed in thought while Hiruzen nodded absently, "It would be best to give him a patent for the technique unless he wishes to teach it to someone else. I'd rather not have people running around with a mock-bijudama at their disposal."  
  
Jiraiya agreed, "Put it in the Scroll of Seals. I doubt he'd disagree. It's his own creation after all and I doubt he'd appreciate if someone else took it from him without permission."  
  
"Indeed."

"I still can't believe you adopted him." Tsunade then mused, "I didn't peg you for the parental type."  
  
"Agreed," Orochimaru said.  
  
"What can I say?" Jiraiya said quietly, eyes fixed on the boy, "He grows on you and before you know it you've already lost the chance to get away. That kid is special, and he's destined for great things."

"I don't doubt it." Their sensei said to all of their surprises. The brunet's eyes were fixed to the blond boy who helped one of the jounin up to his feet after they finished their fight. "Give him a few years and that boy will become a hurricane."  
  
Jiraiya smiled, "Aa."  
  
It dawned on both Tsunade and Orochimaru at that moment that both their sensei and teammate saw something in Naruto that they hadn't. A part of them became curious, the other worried and perhaps also a bit jealous. It was clear that their attention now fell on to someone else, but still, they both mused, getting jealous was petty. It was just a boy after all.   
  
Hiruzen jumped down from the broad branch and begun walking over to the kid who wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. "Good job Naruto-kun." he praised.   
  
Naruto grinned, "Thanks!"  
  
"Next up is a written test but from what I hear you're a more practical type of shinobi." the man mused as Naruto grimaced and nodded.   
  
"I have troubling understanding a lot of the written stuff. Unfortunately."  
  
The man waved it off, "Not everyone learns the same. However, you'll still need to do the test. It's more for formality's sake than anything at this point. You've already earned your chunin title."  
  
Naruto beamed, "Awesome, thanks, old man!" with that he skipped over to Jiraiya and high-fived him, completely ignoring the dark cloud of depression that suddenly hovered over the Hokage who wasn't more than in the middle of his forties. Needless to say.. _his prime_.

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
Jiraiya couldn't contain his laughter when Naruto left the room where he'd just finished writing his test. The boy was positively seething, " _I hate written tests!_ "  
  
"I still don't get why you're having so much trouble with these things."   
  
Naruto growled, "Of course I knew all the bloody answers, but I still hate the freaking thing!"  
  
The older of the two rolled his eyes and sent the boy a smirk, "So you're pissy over something you aced by sheer principle?"  
  
The boy glared but remained silent for a long moment until he let out a sigh, " _Yes._ "  
  
"You have serious issues kid."  
  
"I don't want to hear that coming from you Ero-sennin." he sniffed.   
  
"Say that to my face you runt!" Naruto took off with Jiraiya close behind, the boy taunting the other as the man resorted to throwing kunai and shuriken at the kid whilst ignoring the Hokage and two Sannin who'd come to check on the two of them. Needless to say it didn't actually surprise them at that point. Orochimaru had to fight the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, Tsunade sighed loudly and said something incoherent under her breathe while Hiruzen was more curious about the result of the test than the actual antics the two of them got off to.   
  
"Ah, Retsu-san, how does it look?" He asked when a chunin approached him with a paper in hand.   
  
The woman with short chestnut coloured hair smiled and turned the paper over, the score written at the top of the page, "Full scores, Hokage-sama. The boy is brilliant."  
  
He wrapped his fingers around the paper and scanned the written answers, he then flipped the page and continued to go through them all while he hummed in thought and approval at several points, "Brilliant indeed. The boy is practically a jounin in everything but the title."  
  
"I agree, sir." the woman nodded, "But he could use some experience I believe."  
  
Hiruzen nodded in agreement, "That he could. Thank you Retsu-san, I'll be keeping this."  
  
"Of course."

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
"Do I have to?" Naruto grimaced at the chunin vest in his hands. The colour clashed horribly with his orange.   
  
"Yes." was the collective reply from everyone in the room.   
  
Naruto groaned but slipped the vest on and was rewarded with utter silence. Jiraiya broke it with laughing, a loud and amused laugh that caused a tick-mark to twitch violently on the boy's forehead. "Shut up!"  
  
The laughter grew louder while the rest of them couldn't quite keep the amusement from showing on their faces. Seeing Orochimaru smile was also the creepiest thing Naruto had ever seen, and he decided at that moment that he didn't want to make Orochimaru smile again.  _Urgh_.  
  
"Maybe you should get rid of the orange kid," Tsunade advised.   
  
He frowned, "What's wrong with orange?"   
  
"It's not exactly stealthy." Orochimaru mused. "At least not in that amount that you're wearing."  
  
Naruto hated that. Hated admitting that Orochimaru was  _right_. He peered down at his clothes and let out a small pathetic whimper, "But it's  _orange!_ "  
  
"I'm sure if you go to a tailor they can make something more suitable for you Naruto-kun." Hiruzen smiled and felt his heart warm a little each time he interacted with the boy. It was true what Jiraiya said previously; there was something special about the boy and after every encounter he had with Naruto he was growing more and more convinced that its was nothing but the truth.   
  
"Fine," he grumbled and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Can I have my headband?" he then asked, just remembering that he didn't have one anymore.  
  
"Ah," Hiruzen's eyebrows shot up, he'd completely forgotten about that. "Of course."  
  
The man stood up from his desk and walked over to one of the shelves where he pulled out a box. It was a relatively large box in wood.   
  
Naruto didn't recognize it and allowed his curiosity to remain genuine. It was placed in front of him on the desk and then the Hokage opened it up, revealing several different types of hitai-ate. Some of then looked like the standard model but with various colors for the actual band. Red, blue, grey, black, green and even brown. There was also several other types of headbands like bandannas, armbands, leg-bands, waist-bands and even neck-bands.   
  
Still, Naruto already knew which one he wanted. "One of those." he pointed to the standard forehead protector with a black band. But then he frowned thoughtfully, "Is it possible to get two? One for the arm and then one for the forehead. Not sure which one I'll prefer."  
  
The older man merely nodded, "Of course."  
  
"How long can you make the band? I think I'd like it much longer than these."  
  
 "You want tails?" Hiruzen asked curiously. That was one of the things shinobi usually  _didn't_ want because people could grab hold of them and use it against them much like long hair. At the mere nod of the boys head, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised. But it wasn't like the kid was the only one with unusual tastes in these kinds of things, so he didn't comment.   
  
It didn't take more than a few minutes for an ANBU to appear in the room with two hitai-ate, one forehead protector with long black bands and another for the upper part of his arm in short black bands.  
  
"Sweet."  
  
Jiraiya only shook his head in amusement. But there was a fondness in his eyes, and it didn't go unnoticed by either of his teammates or his mentor.  
  
"Alright kid, let's get you to a tailor. The sooner you get out of that horrible thing, the better."  
  
" _Oi_ , don't disrespect the orange old man!" the two of them gave a quick bow to the group inside of the office before leaving through the door.  
  
"I'm your father; you'll do what I tell you to."  
  
"Bite me, dumb-ass."  
  
"GET BACK HERE!"

"MAKE ME!"  
  
Well, the Hokage chuckled, at least it wouldn't get boring around the here. 

* * *

  
  
  
  
"It's fine I guess," Naruto grumbled yet again after slipping into his black pants, black short-sleeved shirt with orange flames framing the edges of the sleeves. Underneath that was the standard net shirt that was also short-sleeved and over that was the standard chunin vest with standard black shinobi sandals. "But I need a katana."  
  
"We can fix that after we pay for this." Jiraiya walked towards the cashier and dropped a bundle of Ryo on the table, the clerk's eyes sparkled before he thanked profusely and waved when the two exited the store.   
  
"I miss  _my_  sword."   
  
"It broke, didn't it?"  
  
"Yeah," he sighed, "Sasuke's Kusanagi snapped it in half."  
  
Jiraiya hummed, fingers scratching his chin, "I suppose you could always try to get your hands on the Kusanagi yourself. Orochi-teme hasn't got it yet. Besides, I know where it is. Well, kind of anyway. I know  _who's_ got it."  
  
"Huh," Naruto let out a surprised chuckle, "That's not a bad idea. Who's got it?"  
  
"A guy called Otani Kosami. Last I heard he stole the sword from someone, not sure who, and abandoned his village. He should be somewhere around Fire Country."  
  
"Is he strong?" Naruto asked and dodged a train of academy kids who high-tailed through the crowded street.  
  
"Not really. You could take him as you are right now." Jiraiya wasn't concerned. The boy was strong enough to tackle most jounin so he didn't need to baby the kid. Still. His eyes moved up and down the Rokudaime's small body- but he'd need to work on his reach and build up his muscle mass again.   
  
"Then let's go kill him."  
  
Jiraiya chuckled, eyes shining with mirth "Since when did you become so bloodthirsty?"   
  
Naruto shrugged and dodged another round of kids, "Since I learned that if you're not- then you'll find excuses not to hurt people and then they stab you in the back." _like Sasuke_ remained unsaid.  
  
Once upon a time, he might have disagreed, but after seeing first hand where mercy got people, Jiraiya was inclined to agree with his student's assessment on the topic.   
  
"Then let's get you a katana and stock up on some kunai, shuriken, and senbon in the meantime. If we're going to get Kusanagi, then we should do it before  _the battle._ " They'd have to be prepared to answer the call for the battle of Uzu within a few months so until then they should get as prepared as they could.   
  
"Agreed." Naruto nodded and then glanced up at a store he remembered from a distant memory, "Isn't this Tenten's old shop?"  
  
Jiraiya looked up at the sign, "Looks like it. You want to shop here?"  
  
"Might as well. They've always had quality stuff from what I can recall."  
  
The two shinobi entered. The place was empty except for the man napping with his head on the counter at the far back of the store. The man had dark brown hair and was out like a light.   
  
Naruto paid him no mind, for the time being, he didn't need any help picking out weapons so; instead, he wandered through the isles. He reached for a box of freshly made kunai while Jiraiya found a bunch of shuriken and senbon, explosion-tags and smoke bombs. Naruto left him to it and instead moved over to the katana that stood lined up against one of the walls.   
  
Now Naruto wasn't the best at picking out weapons, but he was moderately knowledgeable about it. Basically, he held them and waved them around a bit. If it felt too heavy, it wasn't right, and the same went for the opposite. If it felt like it was an extension of his arm then he was alright with it.   
  
It just so happened that one of the swords had a black hilt with and orange hand-guard.   
  
Perfect.   
  
He reached for it and took it down, swung it around a couple of times and nodded. It was light, almost too light as it was built for speed rather than strength and precision like he'd usually go for but for now it suited his needs.   
  
"What's with you and orange?" Jiraiya couldn't help but ask with an exasperated sigh.  
  
"It's an awesome colour, and I think you have an unhealthy amount of hate for it!" Naruto shot back defensively. The man held up his hands in surrender, but there was clear amusement in his poorly concealed grin. 

"Don't get your panties in a twist brat."  
  
Naruto grumbled and stalked over to the counter where the sleeping clerk slept the day away. With a small amount of lingering irritation the boy slammed the katana and other equipment down on the counter and watched with satisfaction how the man flew up with alarm and a blunted kunai high in hand. The man was disorientated, eyes moving around the shop before they settled on Jiraiya's crossed arms and then Naruto who had a single unimpressed brow raised.   
  
He chuckled sheepishly, a hand scratching the back of his head, "Need any help?"  
  
"Yes, I'd like to pay for my wares."   
  
"Right." The man quickly went over the equipment and counted the total cost. "5437 Ryo, please."  
  
Naruto couldn't quite conceal his surprise. That wasn't nearly as expensive as he expected it to be. Not even a third of the price he was used to paying. Jiraiya had totally forgotten about the fact that thing was way cheaper during this time and even more so for Naruto who grew up over-paying practically everything he bought. Still, with all the money they'd sealed up in scrolls before they got here they were practically swimming in Ryo.   
  
"Thank you! Please come again!" The man beamed as Naruto sealed up his new weapons and holsters.   
  
Before long the two of them was back out in the street.   
  
"Now what?" He asked.   
  
Jiraiya took a look around and then shrugged. "Might as well put on the holsters and then drop off your weapons. If nothing else we could head out and get your sword. It's not like we've got much else to do at this point in time. After that we'll train and get your muscles up to snuff again, you're not as strong as you could be."  
  
"Sounds good. Are you sure that Jiji will allow us to leave this soon?"  
  
"It'll be fine, trust me!"

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
"No."  
  
Naruto glared at Jiraiya who crossed his arms over his chest defensively, "Why not!?"  
  
"Because you still haven't given me the genin instructor papers I asked you for." Hiruzen said matter of factually, "Besides. Why do you want the sword anyway?"  
  
"It's for me," Naruto said helpfully and watched the old mans elbow slide of the desk in surprise.   
  
"Smooth kid."  
  
"You?" Hiruzen parroted incredulously. "Why would you need the Kusanagi sword? More importantly- how do you even know about the sword?"  
  
Naruto shrugged, "I read about it and saw the thing in the bingo-book. Figured I could use an indestructible sword since the one I used to have is busted and the one I bought isn't compatible to the extent I want it to be."  
  
"And the Kusanagi is?"  
  
"Only one way to find out, right?"  
  
Hiruzen shook his head but chuckled all the same, "Alright, I'll allow you two to collect his bounty, but I want those papers Jiraiya."  
  
"On one condition!" The man opened his mouth to protest but shut it again and sighed. There was no winning with his student.  
  
"Fine, what is it?"  
  
"I get to pick what students I want. No questions and no arguments."   
  
That.. wasn't a bad deal. "Fine." he gave in.  
  
Meanwhile, Naruto just knew he'd come to regret this whole thing. Knowing Ero-sennin then he'd get someone annoying just to piss him off and most likely a bunch of fan-girls just because  _he could_. Bastard.   
  
"Alright, brat. Let's go get you that sword!" Jiraiya declared and took hold of the boy's vest and hauled him out of the window with himself quickly following behind.  
  
The Hokage rubbed his temples, a headache coming from not only the paperwork but from the mere presence of his white-haired student who'd suddenly become a  _father_  of all things in the world.   
  
"What a headache." he muttered and got back to work. 

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
"So why haven't you told Jiji about us yet?" Naruto asked once they were safely outside of the village. It wasn't the usual travelling-time since most missions went out during the morning and thus the road was almost empty this time around. And yes, the two of them walked on the road since they didn't have any deadline to meet unless you counted four months. Waiting for Mito to finish her affairs had taken longer than expected.   
  
Jiraiya contemplated the question for a while but then he sighed, "I figured the less know about it the better and if I know the old man like I think I do then he'll pump the both of us dry of information about the future. Besides," he frowned up at the sun, "Orochi-teme hasn't gone sour yet. Maybe we can do something about him this time around. If I manage to steer him away from wanting the seat of Hokage then maybe he'll never start experimenting on kids again."  
  
"Well, I suppose I could start spewing the bullshit about becoming Hokage again. I mean it worked the first time around, didn't it?"  
  
He snorted, "That might work but what about Minato? He wants to be Hokage as well."  
  
"I haven't even thought about that to be honest." Naruto admitted, "I have no idea what to make of the two of us. Mom won't come to Konoha and they'll never meet which means I'll never be born. That's one issue out of the way but da-  _Minato_  and I are almost the same age." He ran a hand threw his hair in frustration, "I don't even know the guy! Argh, I don't care. For all I know he's a stranger much less my dad. As far as I'm concerned you're the closest thing I've had to a real one anyway."  
  
Even if Naruto said it like that, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel rather happy about it. Minato was like the son he'd never had, but so was Naruto and perhaps even more so since he'd known the boy for far longer than Minato.   
  
"I get it." He said, surprisingly seriously for once, "Unlike me you have to find your own place in this time. I've already got mine established and as far as you're concerned you don't have any relatives or ties. According to your backstory you're not even from Fire Country.. So if you want to get to know Minato in the future then I recommend you do it as a friend and not as the son of an already dead man. Minato isn't going to die this time around and he might very well turn out completely different now that Kushina isn't here."  
  
"I still want him to make the Hiraishin though.." Naruto said quietly, "No matter what- he was still my hero growing up."  
  
Jiraiya smiled, "I'm pretty sure that we can push him into fuinjutsu one way or another. He always loved that stuff anyway. But you might want to keep the hero-worship to a down-low."  
  
Naruto snorted, "Please. The last thing I'm going to do is actively seek the man out and kiss the ground where he walks. It might be best we keep away from each other altogether. We look too alike from what I've heard anyway."  
  
"You're not that similar in looks. To be honest, you look more like Kushina if it wasn't for your hair- and eye-colour and tan. Even those aren't the same. Your eyes are both a bit darker, and your hair is a warmer yellow. He's also paler than you. At best you could pass as distant relatives, not more." Jiraiya said matter of factually.   
  
"That's oddly reassuring." he raised his brows at the revelation.  
  
"Don't worry about it. If it comes down to it, then we'll handle it then. There are tons of people who's got doppelgangers."  
  
"That's not reassuring." Naruto grimaced, "Imagine two  _Orochimaru_  or two of  _you_."  
  
Jiraiya sniffed, "Don't disrespect the legendary toad sage!"  
  
"Ah!" He stopped walking and snapped his fingers, "Do you think I can still use the summoning contract?"  
  
The man blinked and scratched his head, "No idea. Let's check when we're further away from the village."  
  
The chibi Hokage nodded and continued onward with a new lightness in his steps.

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
"Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto slammed his hand to the ground and felt a rush of vertigo before he managed to balance himself on the massive toad head. Once the chakra smoke cleared, he peered down and promptly felt his jaw hit the toad on its head.  
  
"GAMAKICHI!?" he shrieked.  
  
Another large chakra cloud puffed into existence in front of them, Jiraiya standing on the head of Gamabunta.  
  
**"What do you want Naruto?"**  the giant toad sighed and then narrowed his eyes at the surprisingly young-looking Gamabunta.  **"And who the hell are you?"**  
  
**"What's this Jiraiya?"**  the giant toad bellowed, its hand reaching for the katana at his side.  
  
"Woah, calm down Boss." the Sannin said. "We'll explain everything. Damn, I didn't expect  _that_."  
  
"How can I summon Gamakichi in this size!?"  
  
**"Oi, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"**  the darker toad sniffed.  **"I've grown bigger since last time; I'll have you know!"**  
  
"No, No! That's not what I meant. I mean Ero-sennin and I travelled back in time, and I'm like.. Nine right now. You shouldn't even be born yet!"  
  
**"Time travel?"**  Gamabunta contemplated the possibility, **"So who's this?"**  the old toad stared suspiciously at Gamakichi.   
  
**"I'm Gamakichi!"**  The toad bristled, offended. He was famous! How could nobody know about him!?  **"I happen to be the familiar of the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!"**  
  
**"I'm the familiar of the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!"**  Gamabunta shot back, insulted by the obvious imposter.  
  
"And I thought I was stupid," Naruto muttered quietly while Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose.  
  
"You're both the familiar of the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!" Jiraiya shouted, annoyed. "Naruto is my student! We traveled back in time and Gamakichi is your son Gamabunta! Apparently Naruto can summon Gamakichi in his adult form." He took a deep breath and sat down non too gently while Naruto blinked a couple of times before chuckling, sitting down on the head of Gamakichi. "There's  _two_ Sages of Mount Myoboku now."  
  
Absolute silence followed Jiraiya's explanation. Then suddenly Gamakichi burst out laughing so loudly that the ground started to shake and the wind forcing the trees surrounding them to lean away from the group. **"You never stop surprising me Naruto!"**  he croaked.  **"Time travel? I never thought you'd do it!"**  
  
**"I'm confused."**  Gamabunta declared.   
  
**"You and me both dad."** The dark toad croaked and shook his head and let out a sigh,  **"If I was summon-able in this time then I don't think I'll be able to go back to my Mount Myoboku. Now that I think about it.. That summoning left me pretty dizzy."**  
  
**"So I guess I have a son, huh?"**  
  
Jiraiya snorted, " _'one'_. More like two hundred."  
  
**"And I'm the very best of them all!"**  Gamakichi declared and bowed extravagantly.   
  
"Gamakichi, would you mind telling the rest on Mount Myoboku about what's going on? We can't have people talking about it openly. As far as people know Ero-sennin is my adoptive father right now." Naruto explained to his familiar who latched on to his every word and nodded.   
  
**"Got it. No probs."**  
  
**"I suppose that was the reason you summoned us then,"**  Gamabunta stated.  
  
"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded, "No fighting today I'm afraid. But you'll probably get summoned in four months or so. Both of you. There's a war coming to Uzu, and we're participating this time around. It's going to be a real bloodbath." he grimaced.  
  
**"The destruction of Uzushio, huh?"**  Gamakichi clutched his sword tightly,  **"Not on my watch."**  
  
"You can fill in Gamabunta and the rest of it."   
  
**"Until then."**  Gamabunta dispelled as Gamakichi saluted before disappearing.   
  
The two shinobi fell towards the ground, landing in a bunch of trees where they steadied themselves for a moment before nodding and heading back out towards Otani Kosami.   
  
After all, they had a sword to get their hands on.


	3. Girls are Crazy

"You know what," Naruto sheathed his newly acquired sword that fit him perfectly, "I feel insulted."  
  
Jiraiya grimaced at the body of Otani Kosami. "I could have sworn this guy was stronger."  
  
The man had barely been able to put up a fight before he'd died. It was beyond anti-climatic and somehow making the long trip feel rather cheap. He'd expected at least a decent fight from the guy.   
  
"How did a guy like this even get the Kusanagi in the first place?" Naruto took out a kunai and squatted down beside the dead man, with swift slashes he began to sever his head.  
  
"Beats me," Jiraiya admitted and pulled out a storage scroll they could deliver it in. "Maybe the bounty was exaggerated. He might have pissed someone off."  
  
The blond boy couldn't help but admit that might be the case. Still, he was a bit miffed at being denied a decent fight. It didn't help that he'd mentally pumped himself up to test his limits. He  _didn't mean to_  turn Otani's entire torso's worth of intestines into soup with a single Rasengan.   
  
Like.. he could have  _dodged_.  
  
"Are the drop-off points still the same?"  
  
"Think so but I'm not certain to be honest." He shrugged, "Can't really remember all that well. I have to study up on some of the active locations when we get back to Konoha. I haven't been in this time for almost fifty years or something like that.  _Damn_ , I was old.." a small whine tore through his throat.  
  
"Ancient." Naruto agreed.  
  
"At least I lived longer than sensei."  
  
"You looked older than him as well." The boy snickered and earned a wack on the back of his head.

"If Mr. Smart-ass is done, let's get the bounty for this idiot and then head back. I have books to write." Jiraiya tugged the sealed head away and tossed a small fire-jutsu at the remains of Otani before walking away with Naruto closely behind. Naruto in turn was examining his new sword with a critical eye. It was perfect but felt a bit of irritation at seeing the damn thing again. Anything that reminded him of Sasuke pissed him off. It would be interesting to see how he'd get along with the other Uchiha's in the village. Would he want to turn them in to kebab or would he be able to ignore them? That was the question, wasn't it?  
  
Maybe he could feed them to Kurama? He'd be happy enough to eat the lot of them.  
  
"What am I supposed to do now?" Naruto asked after a while, "I'm your apprentice again."  
  
"You never stopped being my apprentice." the man said but then hummed, "But I suppose you could always start with those D-ranks and build up your stamina and muscle-mass. You don't need me for that, right?"  
  
"Suppose not." he agreed. "Now many D-ranks do I need again or is it the same?"  
  
"90 D-ranks, 60 C-ranks, 35 B-ranks and 15 A-ranks. A single S-rank will remove 2 A-ranks, 4 B-ranks, 6 C-ranks and 10 D-ranks." Jiraiya repeated from memory. Mentally he was pretty impressed he remembered that at all.   
  
"So I could technically just do a bunch of S-ranks and be done with it," Naruto said.  
  
"Yeah, that wouldn't be suspicious at all." the man deadpanned while the boy began to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.   
  
"Fair enough."  
  
"You don't have to rush it kid. I'm still getting a genin team and it would be better if you remained chunin until then. Makes it easier for the both of us as well." He popped his shoulder and let out a pleasant sigh, "People will ask questions if you advance too fast. And I bet sensei wouldn't like throwing you in to another rank when you just got to the village. Even if they trust you they still want to get a read on you. My advice is to build a reputation in the meantime. Get to know some people, make friends and help out in the academy or something."  
  
"And prepare for the war coming to Uzu," Naruto added.  
  
"And that." he agreed.   
  
"Maybe I'll try to get some C-ranks in there as well. Wouldn't want to grow stiff from not doing anything."  
  
"Sure," Jiraiya chuckled, "We can do that."  
  
" _We?_ " Naruto grinned wickedly, "I didn't peg you for an errand boy  _sensei_."  
  
The man couldn't withhold a heartfelt laughter, his eyes shining with mirth as he ruffled the boy's blond hair, "I had my spine busted Naruto. I want to see the world again."  
  
The boys grin shrunk to a wistful smile. He remembered far too well how deeply the man had fallen in to depression after having his spine broken. He didn't die but he lost the use of his legs and left arm in the process. If Pein had just struck him a little higher than he would have died and it was only thanks to the toads from Mount Myoboku that he didn't succumb to his injuries completely.   
  
He wasn't going to allow that to happen, not this time or  _ever again_. From this moment on Jiraiya was his father and he would protect him as such, no matter how much they joked about the newly acquired title of parent and child he would take it seriously. Ero-sennin was irreplaceable and he wasn't planning to go through the torture of losing him.  
  
Besides.. he never wanted to see the fire leave the mans eyes again. Watching him sink deeper and deeper into himself was painful, and he'd rather turn blind than watch it again.   
  
"Don't overthink it. It won't happen again." Jiraiya reassured, and Naruto nodded.  
  
"You can bet your ass on that it won't." steel in his voice.  
  
Sometimes Jiraiya forgot that Naruto was much more than a nine year old boy and his apprentice. He'd forget that the boy next to him was the Rokudaime Hokage and hailed across all nations, said to have become the most powerful man since the era of the Shodaime and the hero of the Fourth Shinobi World War. He felt so proud of him that the mere word didn't do the feeling justice. Naruto was a man that had no equal and he'd been a part of shaping him in to that man. And then he'd make promises. Promises he never broke, no matter what, and Jiraiya himself couldn't help but believe every word of it.   
  
Unconsciously he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, squeezing down while Naruto looked up at him with a bright and reassuring smile. This time would be different, much,  _much_  different.   
  
This time there was no Sasuke, no Akatsuki and if Madara got in their way then they'd just have to grind the mans bones to sawdust and scatter him to the wind. But for now- Naruto looked up to the bright blue sky- right now there was no such issues. And if Naruto had anything to say about it, there never would be. 

* * *

  
  
  
  
After waking up the following day after their return to Konoha, Naruto had a quick breakfast consisting of an omelette, rice and miso soup and then he left to go to the Mission Office. While he didn't need the money or the experience more than on paper, he was getting restless sitting around and doing nothing. Besides, it didn't hurt to use the time to train.   
  
D-ranks had far more uses than people gave them credit for. For starters; they helped form an image of the 'genin' in the eyes of the civilians. Sure, he wasn't a genin but they didn't know that and for all they knew- he was just some random brat that tried to make it big in the world of big bad assassins.   
  
It also helped the villages economy, and since they would enter a war in a couple of months, the extra income was always welcome. Naruto knew far too well how important the economy was when you got pulled into a war.   
  
Then, of course, it was the more obvious things; doing D-ranks like mowing someone's lawn or ploughing a field of potatoes helped build muscles and in return- strength.   
  
But more importantly; it taught you patience. Which was also a lesson Naruto never managed to learn. Naruto was many things, and patient wasn't one of them.   
  
Still, it didn't deter him from walking towards the Mission Office in the morning. It was quite nice to walk the streets when the sun had just risen, the stores was just opening and the merchants put their goods on display for customers. Everything from fine silks, beverages from countries far away, weapons, jewelry, food and numerous other things. But the best thing to Naruto was the air. It was cool, not quite warm like it was during the middle of the day but rather refreshing like a declaration of a new day.   
  
Naruto entered the building with light steps and stopped behind two genin teams. At least he assumed they were genin considering the moaning they did regarding  _yet another D-rank_. The jounin-sensei's in the room looked ready to shuck the kids out of the window, and Naruto had to bite the inside of his cheek least he laugh at their faces.  
  
Man, he was happy he never had a genin team. He liked kids alright but taking care of newly minted genin? No, thanks. He might not have been the sharpest kunai in the pouch but even he knew that he'd been the biggest pain in Kakashi's ass since the day he graduated from the academy. Not to mention he was proper useless as well. Always bitching and moaning about jutsu's left and right and completely neglecting to realize that he was, in fact, absolute shit.  
  
So, it was with poorly concealed amusement that he shoved his hands into the pockets of his black pants and begun to whistle quietly.   
  
One of the jounin looked back and found the blond boy rocking back and forth on the ball of his feet, obviously trying not to laugh at them and pointedly avoiding eye-contact. If the man wasn't so bloody tired of the whole thing he might have found it funny as well. But the truth was that he wanted to stab himself in the knee and put the three genin up for adoption. Not that he could actually do that.. he had a Hyuuga  _and_  an Uchiha on his team so that wouldn't be appreciated. Still, he hated them.  _With a burning passion_.   
  
"Who're you?" a short boy with brown hair and red claw-marks on his cheeks asked. Well, he  _growled_  as he pointed at Naruto like the boy had offended him with his mere presence. "I haven't seen you before! And I know everyone!"  
  
His jounin sensei, a man that seemed to be around the age of twenty-five, slapped the boy across the head in exasperation. "Don't talk to your superiors like that Ogata-kun."  
  
"Superior?" the boy snorted, "He looks younger than me!"  
  
Naruto raised a brow, and arms stretched behind his head, "Where's your ninken?"  
  
He'd seen enough Inuzuka and knew that the markings on his face were that of the Inuzuka clan. Not to mention the boy's attitude reminded him a little _too much_  about Kiba's.  
  
"I haven't gotten it yet." Ogata frowned, "How'd you know who I am?"  
  
"Doesn't take a genius to identify an Inuzuka." the blond said simply and held up tree fingers, "First one to goad you, brash and the clan markings on your face. I'm pretty sure you're not considered a real shinobi in your clan until you get your ninken, so maybe you should stop yapping before you embarrass yourself any further."   
  
Ogata seethed, the jounin sensei's placed a hand on each of the boys shoulders, but didn't say anything to contradict his arguments. After all, it _was_  true. Not to mention it was very inappropriate to talk to superiors like that, even if they were simply genins. Well,  _they were,_ Naruto wasn't.   
  
Instead of giving Ogata more fuel to his fire his jounin sensei smiled, "I'm not sure we've met before. I'm Gekko Tani, it's nice to meet you- and I hope you can excuse my student. He's newly graduated."   
  
Was he Gekko Hayate's dad?   
  
Naruto flicked his wrist in a dismissal of his concern, "Don't worry about it Gekko-san. The name's Uzumaki Naruto. Chunin."  
  
The other man blinked, recognition flashing through his brown eyes, "You're that kid that Jiraiya-sama brought back from Uzushio, aren't you?" he then smiled sheepishly, "Shimpei Taketa, pleasure."  
  
"Yeah, he's my adoptive father. According to the papers at least." A cheeky grin spread across his lips as the two tried to refrain from gaping. There were rumours about it but hearing it from the horse's mouth was still shocking.  
  
"Not to be rude," Taketa said, "But how old are you? You look younger than these brats." completely ignoring the offended looks the six genins displayed and especially the puffed up cheeks and reddening ears.   
  
"Nine, ten in a couple of months. What month is it?" Naruto squinted his eyes at the calendar to the side of them. Takeda blinked a couple of times and glanced to Tani.  
  
"June, almost July." Tani smiled at the boy.  
  
"Ah, four months then." he shrugged, "I don't pay that much attention. Anyway, it was nice meeting you all, but I've got missions to do. Ero-sennin will never let me live it down unless I finish before dinner."  
  
That pushed the two jounin into gear, and they nodded firmly, "Right. Let's head out and get that cat."  
  
"Awh maaaan..!!" was the collective reply whilst the two jounin ushered the six genins out of the door and down the corridor, but not before giving a small wave towards Naruto who grinned back.   
  
"Alright!" Naruto declared once they were gone, hands slapping together and echoing across the room, startling the two chunin on desk duty, "Give me ten of the shittiest D-ranks you've got."

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
It didn't take long for Naruto to remember why he had bitched and moaned so much about D-ranks when he was a genin. It was simple actually;  **they sucked.  
**  
His clones handled the monotonous tasks of buying groceries and walking dogs while he himself plowed a field until his arms turned to jelly. He then decided to handle the last mission himself; painting the academy fence. Wasn't that original? The amount of fences in the village should be illegal, he decided. It was simply ridiculous. It was like someone was purposefully wrecking them just so some poor ass genin could paint them-  _again_.   
  
Still, his eyes fell to the nine completed mission scrolls to his side. It was pretty nice money when you worked alone and didn't have to split the money in four piles. 5000 ryo for a single D-rank? Yes, please. Jiraiya can sit his ass down, he got this. He might not actually need the money but after living alone and counting every single ryo he had- well, Naruto was a cheap bastard. At least he could handle finances like no other.   
  
And it wasn't all  _that_  bad. Painting a fence near the hospital would have sucked considerably more than doing it by the academy. Why? Simple; he could watch the brats all day while they tried to hit the _immobile targets_ with kunai and shuriken. Naruto pointedly ignored the fact that he'd been one of them a long time ago. He tried to forget that he'd sucked just as much as them once.   
  
It did put things in perspective. Genin's sucked. There was no way around it. They weren't even  _genin_  yet. They were all a bunch of chibi shinobi. Needless to say, it was entertaining to watch them all fail so miserably.   
  
Well, that is until the senior kids took up the training field. There was a big cap between the graduation class and the one that came before them. While the one before them missed over half their targets, the graduating class didn't do nearly as bad. It wasn't flawless, nowhere near, but they weren't  _terrible_.   
  
There wasn't much left of the fence when a boy who looked familiar stepped up to throw his weapons at the target.  
  
Naruto halted the brush and stared. The boy had brown hair in a pineapple ponytail. He had a short grey vest with brown pants.   
  
"Shikamaru?" he mused, but then he smirked, "Heeh~ Looks like I've found your old man Shika. Isn't  _that_  awkward."  
  
It wasn't much of a surprise when he only threw one kunai and shuriken- both of them dead in the centre but no more than that. Shikaku yawned, muttered a familiar 'troublesome' and stalked back towards a patch of grass and laid down. The boy was out like a light.   
  
A quiet laugh bubbled up from the pit of his stomach before putting down his brush, finally having finished the damn fence. Instead of leaving he crossed his legs and leaned into his hand, eyes fixed on the kids.   
  
Next up was a boy that made him want to hiss like a cat. The boy looked far too much like Sasuke not to be the bastards father. What was his name? Fungus? Whatever.   
  
"Fugaku-kun, you're up." the instructor called.  
  
Right,  _Fugaku_. Pompous bastards.   
  
He couldn't help but grimace when he threw five of each and hit a clean ten out of ten. Maybe the famous stick up their ass didn't extend to him?  
  
Fugaku turned around and was welcomed by the squealing of numerous girls.  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Never mind," Naruto mumbled, "It's hereditary."  
  
Next up was an obvious Akimichi, at least if his round belly and dango-stick was anything to go by. The boy had red hair in a rather unimpressive tuft on his head. He also took his time eating his dango before throwing the clean dango-stick at the target in to the dead center.   
  
Naruto blinked, that was pretty impressive, he had to admit.  
  
"Huh?" the boy stared at his hand and then to his other one, "Heh, I threw the wrong one. Can I go again, sensei?" His sensei nodded, and the boy threw the kunai and missed spectacularly.   
  
Naruto deadpanned along with the sensei.   
  
Next up was a boy that in all fairness looked like a girl. Naruto didn't even have to guess who that was; Yamanaka Inoichi. With a determined expression, he tossed the projectiles and hit the target with a fair seven out of ten. From the looks of things he didn't seem all that happy about it but stepped aside to let the next one forward.   
  
"What're you doing sitting here?" Startled Naruto looked up to find Jiraiya standing next to him.   
  
He shrugged, "I finished my missions already. Got bored."  
  
"Right, you up for some Yakiniku? I'm starving. We can head to the training field afterwards." the man suggested and earned an approving nod from the blond. Without a word he picked up his scrolls and begun walking towards the Mission Office to drop them off with Jiraiya close behind.   
  
"So what have you been up to all day?"  
  
"Oh, nothing much. Breaking the hearts of maidens and researching. The usual stuff."  
  
Somehow that didn't piss him off even half as much as it used to. It was kind of nice hearing him talk like that since it was quite a while ago that he did.   
  
"Did you send in your scripts to your publisher?"  
  
"Nah, I still haven't written the first book down on paper again. I'm taking my time, can't appear like I can make them too fast or they would be horrible to deal with. You have to be realistic about these things." Jiraiya grinned mischievously, "Besides, I'm thinking about branching out."  
  
"Do I even want to know?" Naruto let out a long-suffering sigh.  
  
"Oi, this will be my second break-through!" the Sannin argued, "Just imagine it," he posed grandly, "Icha Icha goes two dimensional!"  
  
The boy furrowed his brows in confusion, "'Two dimensional'?"  
  
"Exactly!" He beamed, "Why deny half the worlds population my love and affections?"  
  
Naruto stared flatly at the man for a long moment. "You can't be serious."  
  
The man sniffed, "Why can't I swing both ways? You do!"  
  
"You just want to get something new to write about." Naruto stated, "And let's keep my sexual orientation out of this conversation, thanks."  
  
"Don't be so sensitive. You'll never get laid if you're that grumpy."  
  
"I'm  _nine!_ " he said incredulously.  
  
Jiraiya looked unperturbed, "So? We both know that isn't true."  
  
"Forget it. This is like talking to a demented five-year-old."  
  
"I take offence to that!"

* * *

  
  
  
  
"I still don't get it," Naruto said when they entered the Mission Office fifteen minutes later.   
  
"Get what?"  
  
"How has nobody realised that using shadow-clones is the gift from god?"  
  
Jiraiya stared down at the boy and then grimaced, "Are you going to tell sensei about it? It would help with the paperwork."  
  
The chibi Hokage grunted, "Hardly. Let him suffer."  
  
Their small conversation was cut off with the screeching of a cat. Actually, it sounded more like the poor thing was being tortured. The two of them peeked inside of the room and saw two genin teams.   
  
"Ah," Naruto straightened and entered the room, "Gekko-san, Shimpei-san.  _Genin_."  
  
The two jounin turned around, yet again ignoring the genin who looked offended once more.   
  
"Uzumaki-san, finished for the day?" Gekko asked.  
  
He nodded, "Yup. Just dropping these off." Naruto promptly dropped his ten mission scrolls on the mission desk and backed away to let the shocked chunin get to work to sort through and process them. At the same time, Jiraiya made his way inside the room. "I haven't been in here in ages."  
  
"Jiraiya-sama!" the two jounin bowed.  
  
"If you didn't get so much special treatment from Jiji then maybe you'd know your way around the place." the blond crossed his arms, gaze lazy and a small slouch in his shoulders.   
  
"Afternoon." He nodded at the two jounin in acknowledgement and then turned to his 'son'. "Ain't that the truth. But lemme tell you, kid, personal debrief from the old man isn't all it's cracked up to be. You can hide way more crap in a single mission report than you can in front of him."  
  
"So you're saying that you hide things in your reports?" Naruto smirked while the rest of the people present appeared quite scandalised by both their familiarity and their choice of conversational topic.   
  
"Remind me never to let you near TI. You're already a menace." he frowned, but there was more amusement in his eyes than annoyance. Naruto merely shot the man a peace-sign as he waited for the chunin to finish going through his mission scrolls and give him his money.   
  
"You're one of the Sannin!" Ogata stared up at the man in awe. "I've heard everything about you!"  
  
"That's worrying," Naruto mumbled quietly and caused the two jounin to choke on their spit.   
  
"And what have you heard kid?" Jiraiya asked the boy who appeared to be quite shocked that one of the  **Sannin**  was speaking to  _him_.   
  
"You defeated Hanzo the Salamander in the last war! Y-You're a legendary Sage and-"  
  
"Don't stroke his ego. It's already big enough." the blond said, "Did you know he's a terrible author as well?"  
  
"Oi, you little shit. I'll ground your ass for so long you'll start talking to your walls to spare yourself from your own thoughts!" a tick-mark pulsing on his forehead. He couldn't even have his moments of fame anymore before someone  _wrecked_  it. "Don't make me convince sensei you like  _cats_."  
  
Naruto blanched but then raised his chin in the air, "Unless you haven't noticed, I'm a chunin, and you can't make me do shit."  
  
"Tsk, I have connections."  
  
"To what, the local spa?"  
  
"Oi, don't dis the spa! Taking care of your skin is important. How're you supposed to become popular with the ladies if you look like you took a dip in the local sewer?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know- how about not being a pervert?"  
  
Jiraiya sniffed, "There's nothing wrong with being a pervert."  
  
"E-erm. Uzumaki-san.. Your pay." the chunin behind them held out a thick envelope. Naruto spun around, grabbed the envelope, flipped it open and checked the bundle of money before tucking it in to his back pouch, ignoring the shocked faces of the people around him considering the fact that he was just paid the equivalent of an A-ranked mission.  
  
"You're paying for dinner," Jiraiya said matter of factually.  
  
"Fine, but we're going for Ramen."  
  
" _Fine_.."  
  
The two of them walked out of the Mission Office without much concern. Leaving behind a group of flabbergasted shinobi.   
  
Unbeknownst to the two time-travellers, that was the defining moment in which everyone would come to know about both Naruto and Jiraiya's relationship. Word would spread far and wide, to the elders, the Sandaime, the rest of the Sannin, the whole shinobi ranks and even the academy students. What may you ask?   
  
That Jiraiya was a lazy bastard and didn't fill in his mission reports correctly.   
  
Among other things. 

* * *

  
  
  
  
The following day was..  _different_ , Naruto decided. He couldn't say that he was used to people calling him 'sama'. Frankly it sort of freaked him out a bit. But that wasn't the worst part of it all. It was the sudden influx of females that followed him around the village. It didn't matter where he was, there was at least one pair of eyes on him at every damn turn he took.   
  
While he hated Sasuke's guts, he had to admit that he felt sympathy towards him in regards to the horde of females that followed and fawned over him.   
  
For Naruto it just creeped him out. He was fairly sure that stalking was a crime in most places so  _why was it that fan-girls suddenly had a bloody free-pass against the damn law!?  
_  
He peeked out from behind a dumpster, eyes flickering in all directions before he dashed to the other side of the street and narrowly missed two girls who'd followed him around  _all damn day_.  
  
" _They're animals._ " Naruto hissed to nobody in particular but earned a snicker from one of the merchants by the stand he'd dived down behind.   
  
"Aren't you popular shinobi-san." The old man spoke with humour lacing his words, "I'm fairly sure I've seen you doing this all day."  
  
Naruto looked up at the man from behind a large box stocked with apples, "They already know where I live. I can't go there. At this rate, I'll have to ask the Hokage to sent me out on a mission."  
  
The man laughed loudly, hand rubbing against his left eye to remove a tear of mirth, "Tell you what. For your trouble, I'll let you have an apple."  
  
The boy grinned, took an apple but then handed the man a couple of Ryo all the same, "Quality fruit." he said and shunshin'ed away from the man before he could argue with him.   
  
Naruto reappeared in the park. There were several large parks in the village, but there was only one that had a large lake smack down in the middle of it. His plan was simple; if they wouldn't leave him alone, then he'd go somewhere nobody would be able to follow him- into the middle of the damn lake.   
  
With that in mind, he focused chakra to his feet, a feat that was so simple it came to him as easily as breathing. He walked to the very centre, careful not to be too far to either side if they happened to have fishing rods at their disposal.  _Because you never know!_  
  
Once in the centre he sat down cross-legged, apple high in hand and took a bite.  
  
The silence was  **glorious**.

* * *

  
  
  
  
Minato dodged another hysterical girl on his way out of the classroom. He was pretty sure that made twenty-four in the last hour. Of course he knew why they acted like that. Crazy that is. His classmates had spoken about it all day. But even he was curious about the Toad Sannin's son because from what he'd heard the boy was a year younger than him and already a  _chunin_. That was  _incredible_. He'd never met anyone that was a shinobi that was younger than him and Minato was only ten.  
  
Something collided hard into his shoulder and his books were sent flying across the corridor along with two other boys who 'yelped' at the sudden collision.   
  
Still.. he didn't understand the sudden chaos that accrued around him. Nor did he understand the sudden disregard for people and their belongings.. or manners.   
  
But it wasn't something to get upset over. Instead, he smiled and helped the two boys up and reached for his books and papers, narrowly dodging yet another rabid female.  
  
"I swear girls are insane." One of the boys grumbled and waved at Minato before leaving. The blond waved back before turning the corner and leaving through the exit to then find himself on the street outside of the academy.   
  
He should be getting back to the orphanage- but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't quite contain his own curiosity. He wanted to _see_ the Toad Sannin's son at least.  _Just once_.  
  
The boy let his gaze flicker from side to side before crossing the street, quickly melting into the crowed and quietly following the direction that he could see some of the girls running in.   
  
Minato held his books and papers close to his chest as he moved through the streets and then towards the park where he'd managed to lose sight of the girl he was discreetly following. He let out a small disappointed sigh before he begun to turn around.   
  
However, something caught his attention in his peripheral vision. It was something yellow.   
  
Curious he turned back around and looked out at the large lake he could see from the hill he was standing on. There, in the middle of the lake was a boy. However, that wasn't what truly caught his attention. It was the fact that he was  _sitting_  on the  _surface of the water_.   
  
He'd read something about shinobi being able to do that, but that boy didn't look to be older than him. How exactly was he doing that?  
  
A sharp squeal made him snap his attention towards his right where a group of girls from the academy pointed and giggled, "There he is! Uzumaki Naruto-sama~! So cooool~" The girls continued to whisper, giggle and fawn but Minato miraculously managed to tune them all out as he looked back at the boy in the middle of the lake.   
  
He squinted his eyes upon seeing the boy move his arm. Minato bit the inside of his cheek to refrain from laughing when he saw a half-eaten apple in his hand.   
  
Someone bumped into his shoulder, and he stumbled to the side, eyes wide and surprised upon seeing that the group of girls had multiplied several times over.   
  
Minato moved away, looking one last time towards the boy he had just learned the name of before hurrying back to the orphanage where he had to help cook dinner for the smaller kids that night. 


	4. Fried Potato

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The techniques used are actual jutsus in the series, so no bullying over stupid names. Cuz they were stupid before I got here.

"How the  _hell_ am I supposed to do D-ranks with a horde of  _rabid animals_  after me!?" Naruto hissed the following day at the kitchen table.

Jiraiya was unperturbed and flipped a page in the newspaper, "You'll manage."

"Aren't you supposed to be an expert in all things women?" he didn't like to admit that the Sannin  _might_  be knowledgeable about the female gender. "Shouldn't you know what to do about it?"

"Well you don't see me having any problems, do you? Obviously I know what to do about it." In reality he didn't have any idea what to do about it and that wasn't lost on the blond boy who gave the man a flat look.

"I'm not telling people I'm a pervert."

Jiraiya raised the newspaper a little higher and shrugged, "Suit yourself."

"Bastard.."

But it didn't change the fact that he was screwed. How was he supposed to walk a bloody dog in the middle of Konoha with his clones if girls from all sides tried to tackle him to the ground? They'd dispel and he'd lose the dog  _and_  fail the mission.

 _Or_.. a wicked grin spread across his face and effectually alarmed the white-haired Sannin that shrunk a little lower in his chair and raised the newspaper a bit more. _He really didn't want to know._

Naruto left home cackling madly, making people around him edge away while the shinobi could only watch him in sympathy. Fan-girls could drive even the best of men insane.

It didn't take long for the boy to enter the Mission Office and pull to a halt in front of two chunin who looked just about ready to kill themselves in boredom.

"I want ten D-rank missions outside of the village!" Naruto declared and grinned.

Those hyenas could run around the village all they'd like, they wouldn't find him this time!  
  


* * *

  
  


"God  _dammit_!" Naruto peeked out from behind a tree. The world was against him, he was certain. The boy glared up at the sky and muttered a long series of incoherent curses before his lips pressed together in a thin line.

His plan had been flawless; if you want to avoid the academy students then go somewhere  _they_  can't go. Which meant outside the village walls. It was perfect,  _flawless,_ aside from the fact that the entire senior class from the academy was a hundred meters in front of him, setting up camp for an apparent survival exercise.

Right next to a field of potato that needed plowing.

_Damnit!_

How the hell was he supposed to plow the field in peace now? No matter. Naruto straightened his back and took a deep breathe. There was no running away from this, especially since he'd already accepted the mission and old man Matsuka-san was waiting for him to make his appearance.   
  
Surely the academy sensei's would keep the brats away from him? Right. Of course, they would.   
  
The moment Naruto stepped out from the foliage of the trees that was hiding him, a loud squeal carried over the field. He winced but continued forward at an even pace. There was something seriously wrong with girls, he concluded.   
  
The group of students weren't in the middle of the field but rather to the side of it where the forest met the open area. It was a strategically placed encampment which he could give them props for, but the incessant giggling, loud whispering and squealing made the whole 'stealth' thing for naught.   
  
He recalled his own survival exercises when he went to the academy. Surprisingly enough he was pretty good at them and always ended up closer to the top of the class than the bottom. It was one of the few things he knew how to do since he'd lived on the street for a while in his childhood. Hunting for food and finding shelter became a matter of survival and you did what you had to do.   
  
That's also when you found out who lived shielded from hardship and who didn't. Could they kill an animal and prepare it for eating? Not many could to be honest. Especially bunnies. The girls couldn't kill those.  
  
Thankfully Naruto managed to tune out the academy students once he reached Matsuka-san's field. It was time to get to work and he wouldn't allow himself to get distracted. He already had a plan; plow the field in sessions, stretch, go through his kata's and then eat somewhere in between. Ploughing the field was perfect for arm, leg and back muscles and Naruto could use all the training he could get.   
  
Upon approaching Matsuka-san's house he stopped by the front door and knocked. A couple of seconds passed before the door was pulled open and an old man in his late sixties stood in front of him. He was short, no taller than 4'8 with gray short hair and pale blue eyes. The wrinkles on his face told Naruto that the old man was a happy man, laughing lines and a kind smile.   
  
"Ah, shinobi-san!" the man recognised, "It's good to see you." he then looked at the boy in search of the rest of the team but found none, a little confused he asked, "Where is the rest?"  
  
Naruto was used to that reaction, "It's just me, Uzumaki Naruto. Don't worry; this isn't the first field I've ploughed."  
  
Albeit sceptical the man nodded in acceptance, "Alright then. Is there anything you need that I can provide for you?"  
  
The boy smiled, "If you have any tools, then I'd be grateful."  
  
"Of course, this way."  
  
Naruto followed the man towards a shed to the side of the house, he went inside and then returned shortly afterwards with a couple of spades and a rake. "The plow is on the field and if you need something to drink then I'd be happy to provide." he then smiled kindly, "I hope the children won't be an inconvenience to you while you work. I volunteered my home as their training ground for the next two days. Apparently they had more students in need of training than they had booked training place."  
  
Ah, that made sense.  
  
"It's no problem as long as I get to work uninterrupted. And I'll take you up on that drink in a few hours." Naruto bowed politely and headed towards the middle of the field where a plow was embedded in the dark soil. The poor thing was old but thankfully in working condition.   
  
Closing his eyes, he allowed the wind to dance around him for just a moment, a single moment when everything was calm and quiet. His fingers crossed in to the familiar Clone Seal and then- as if someone opened the lid of a bottle and poured its content on the ground- chakra surged through his hands and he released it, twenty clones popping in to existence.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
Minato wasn't sure how he ended up on campfire duty while the rest of the boys were told to go hunt dinner. It didn't seem very fair. Not that he would openly complain about it since making a campfire was important as well.. but it wasn't very fun.. or exciting..  
  
Even so, he liked the survival exercises even if many others didn't. It felt like being a real shinobi, and _that_  was exciting.   
  
While Minato sat on a log in front of a steadily growing campfire, the girls was sitting in groups of three and balanced leaves on their foreheads, forearms and hands. Although not at the same time. That was a bit too advanced for academy students. But it was an excellent way to hone your focus and stop you from getting distracted since all great shinobi could stay focused during long periods of time.   
  
It was a mere fact that girls were born with better chakra control than boys. Why- Minato wasn't sure, but perhaps it had something to do with the fact that boys were naturally stronger due to their natural muscle-mass so in return girls were better at chakra control?  _Or something_.   
  
Which is why it took him by surprise when every single girl lost their concentration at the same time, and the leaves fell to the ground.   
  
He tried not to wince at the sudden high-pitching squeals that erupted from the group. Their sensei didn't seemed to care since the man was taking an inconspicuous nap under one of the trees, most likely a much needed nap as well.   
  
Imagine his surprise when one; Uzumaki Naruto, walked across the potato field towards the small farmhouse to their side. Well, it wasn't exactly to  _their side_. More like a hundred meters forward and to their right. But he was far closer this time than the last time he'd seen him on the lake.   
  
The green chunin vest stood out against the black pants and shirt with orange flames on the short sleeves, his hair shockingly yellow along with a healthy tan. On his back was also a sword. It didn't look like a katana, Minato mused, but more like a chokuto- a straight sword.  
  
Did that mean that he knew kenjutsu?  
  
Despite his previous dedication to his campfire Minato stood up and moved a little closer, although far enough from the girls to not be knocked down by them. All the boys in his class had fallen victim to it at one point or another.   
  
Was he on a mission? the boy wondered and absently registered his sensei stir beside him and sit up.   
  
"Ah," Shojiro Kano said upon seeing the blond boy on the field in front of them, "It's Jiraiya-sama's son. What was his name again?"  
  
"Uzumaki Naruto I think." Minato answered, and Kano-sensei nodded in recollection, "Is he doing a mission sensei?"  
  
"Looks like it. Probably a D-rank but from what I've heard he's a chunin, not a genin. So it's a bit peculiar that he would do D-ranks."  
  
"Chunin never does D-ranks? Only genin?" Minato sat down next to Kano who pulled up a knee and leaned on it. The man hummed thoughtfully.   
  
"They sometimes do but not often. Only when there are too few genin teams to cover the missions. But from what I know there's plenty of teams at the moment, so perhaps he was just bored and wanted something to do."  
  
The two fell silent for a moment. His eyes were lingering on the blond boy who walked towards the plough and stopped, eyes closing, and then hands moving to form a Clone Seal.   
  
Intrigued Minato leaned forward a little, only to lean backwards and blink in confusion when twenty clones popped into existence. He didn't notice the way his sensei's mouth fell open until a few of the clones took hold of the plough and lifted it up to carry it to the side of the field.  
  
"Kano-sensei, are those solid clones?" his gaze leaving Naruto to move to his teacher. The man looked shocked and quickly closed his mouth before nodding.  
  
"Those are Shadow-clones, Minato-kun. They take a  _lot of_ chakra to make," he explained, brows narrowing as he begun to observe the boy in earnest. "I can't believe he made  _twenty_. That's crazy."  
  
The blond academy student let his attention land on the other blond boy once more. If his sensei was that surprised at seeing twenty clones, then the shadow-clone jutsu had to take far more chakra than other clone techniques.   
  
Minato was good at that; analysing different techniques upon seeing them just once and forming a sort of understanding about them. It was one of the things he was confident in as well and something he was often complimented on by his sensei's. He learned a lot from simply watching people.  
  
"How many can you make sensei?"  
  
Kano tilted his head to the side and then ran a finger absently over his mouth, "No more than two or three. After that I would pass out from chakra exhaustion. But if he's an Uzumaki then he's got much larger chakra reserves than ordinary people. Still, twenty clones are.." he shook his head incredulously, "It's not a technique that's used very often because one hit is enough to dispel them and it's not worth the chakra cost, especially not in combat."  
  
He could see why that would be the case. At best shadow-clones could be used to distract and confuse, but if the chakra cost was that high, then it could be dangerous to use them in combat because it would leave you with very little chakra. It wasn't very viable.  
  
Still, if the clones could work like  _that_ , then it must be a beneficial technique. He could handle entire D-rank missions on his own.  
  
Suddenly the group of girls gasped and pointed towards the foliage of the treeline. On one of the branches stood a tall man with long white hair and dressed in the standard black jounin uniform along with a green vest.   
  
"Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Minato blinked.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
It was easy enough to ignore the brats by the treeline if he didn't look at them and imagined the strange sounds to come from that of wild animals instead. There wasn't much difference between the two of them anyway.   
  
However, it was far harder to focus when he felt Ero-sennin's eyes on him. No doubt the bastard was feeling smug that he didn't have to lift a finger since he was already in shape and ready for the war in Uzu as he was. That couldn't be said about Naruto. While he felt himself get stronger for each day it was slow going. Kurama helped speed up the process but not as fast as Naruto would have liked it to be. At this rate he would just have to do what he could with the time he had. But he also didn't like him watching because he knew for a fact that Jiraiya didn't waste time watching him unless he had some sort of reason to do so.   
  
His suspicions were answered when a sudden surge of chakra sped towards him underground and forced the earth underneath his feet to erupt.  
  
Naruto narrowly dodged Jiraiya's earth clone by flipping backwards and digging his feet in to the ground to come to a stop. Swiftly and without unnecessary movement a kunai found it's way in to his hand, eyes narrowed as they traveled around him in search for Jiraiya's next move while simultaneously keeping one eye on the clone that had yet to move.  
  
"That's cheating Ero-sennin. Attacking me out of nowhere." he accused, but there was no real edge to the accusation. Instead, his previous thoughts only confirmed what he already knew; Jiraiya wouldn't watch him without reason. Suddenly attacking him seemed right up the Toad Sage's alley in some sort of convoluted way to mentally prepare him for the upcoming war.   
  
The clone smirked and drew a kunai, his other hand forming a peace-sign before turning to egg him on and encourage him to make the first move, "Show me what you got kid."  
  
"You couldn't have picked a better time to do this?" Naruto sent a subtle glance in the academy students direction, "I don't need any more reason to fear for my life and newly returned virginity."  
  
A wicked grin spread over the man's face, "What makes you think I  _didn't_  plan it?"  
  
Ticked off-  _because of course, he did!_  Naruto growled and charged forward; kunai raised as he threw it at the man's face to buy some time to get close. It was easily dodged, but while doing so, Naruto drew his chokuto and brought it down just in time to connect to the man's own kunai. The two connected with a loud clang and sent some sparks flying.   
  
Jiraiya pushed him away as hard as he could, the force sending Naruto across the entire potato field until he collided with the ground with a loud thud and burst into chakra smoke. A last second kawarimi with a clone to Jiraiya's left and his chokuto slashed towards the man's hip and left a deep gash, causing the earth clone to grumble to pieces.   
  
Naruto didn't trust the man for a second to have finished, so he closed his eyes, expanding his senses to pin-point the old Toad Sage just in time to feel the real one rush towards him from the treeline.  
  
The boy ducked, turned to the side and swiped his leg out and made the Sannin jump and leap over him- least he would get punched in the kidney. Because Naruto wasn't above underhanded tactics anymore- like he'd shown the day before during their spar when he'd kicked Ero-sennin between the legs. Not Naruto's proudest moment but it got the job done, and it was surprisingly effective when you were so short.   
  
Jiraiya turned around and side-stepped to avoid Naruto's backward kick. Without delay, he took hold of his ankle and hauled him up into the air, grabbed three shurikens and tossed them at the boy who wouldn't be able to dodge.   
  
But that was nothing Naruto hadn't seen before. That exact tactic was one that Kakashi liked to use on him. With that in mind he crossed his fingers in to a Clone Seal and created two shadow-clones. One took hold of his chunin vest and pulled him to the side just as the shuriken passed him and the second transformed in to a fuuma shuriken. He grabbed it, spun around for momentum and sent the large projectile straight towards the legendary Sannin who threw himself to the side with a roll on his shoulder.  
  
Naruto landed silently and moved into a crouch, fingers once more forming a Clone Seal, another twenty clones puffing into existence while his eyes remained fixed on the man who flashed through the hand-seals of boar and tiger. The man's cheeks were bloated-  
  
"Shit!" Naruto threw himself to the side as a hail of bite sized rocks shot towards him. "Earth style; Stone Pistol jutsu!" Jiraiya exclaimed at the same time the entire potato field exploded into clouds of brown soil.  
  
"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" Naruto shouted, diving out of the way of another earth explosion but still ending up getting caught in it. He rolled to the side and pushed himself up on his feet, hair littered with dirt- he spit out a mouthful- as well as his mouth and clothes. "You want to play dirty?  _Fine._  I'm going to make you  _cry._ " he hissed quietly.   
  
It was  **on**.  
  
"You alive kid?" Jiraiya shouted from across the field and squinted his eyes to see through the dirt clouds.   
  
_"MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"_  
  
"Oh shi-"   
  
Jiraiya only had to see the entire field erupting into chakra smoke before he flashed through another set of seals, "Earth style; Hiding Mole!"  
  
It wasn't a moment too soon as the second he disappeared Naruto's loud voice rang in the air,  _"CLONE GREAT EXPLOSION!"  
_  
Needless to say; the entire open field went up in flames with hundreds of clones detonating over the poor, abused potato field. Thankfully there wasn't any potato to harvest because if there were then, they would have to dig for fries.   
  
Naruto panted, sweat dripping from his hair and forehead. The entire field was silent, and there was no sign of the old Toad Sage. Still, Naruto wasn't dumb enough to think that the old bastard would die from a bloody mine-field but he honestly couldn't care less at that point, he was exhausted.   
  
"Do you feel better now?" A voice cooed, Jiraiya slowly rising from the ground behind him.   
  
The boy's shoulder slumped, "I do, actually. Thanks." Oddly sincere.   
  
"No problem. Now, how about you continue with this mission of yours? I'm pretty sure your clones helped upturn the earth around here so it should be easier to plough." If Jiraiya was in any way sorry-  _he didn't show it._  
  
Naruto blanched and looked around the field. There were craters in it, half of the soil was scattered outside of the actual field and then of course the poor man himself; Matsuka-san who stood with a tray and a single glass of lemonade in his hands. His jaw halfway down his torso and an umbrella in the other hand. Probably to allow the boy some shade when he took a break from plowing the field.   
  
"I hate you." He said evenly, completely resigned to his fate.  
  
"I'm sure you'll get over it." The man slapped his son on the shoulder and walked away, leaving the boy to face the wrath of Matsuka-san and for failing a D-rank mission so badly that it would go down in Konoha history as one of the biggest and most epic failures ever.    
  


* * *

 

 

Somewhere along the stretch of that fight the rest of the academy students had returned from their hunt, and the girls had stopped gushing and fawning in favour of gaping. Not even the sensei's had the mind to close their mouths at that point.   
  
Suddenly a lot of things made sense to the chunin sensei's. First of all; the only reason that boy was doing D-ranks was because he was either bored or waiting for a permanent team of sorts. Second; there was  _no way_  that boy was a simple chunin. Thirdly; Jiraiya's adoption choice suddenly made a whole lot more sense, and lastly;  **WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?**  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
Shikaku was trying to piece together what he'd just seen. Because surely the two of them had not blown up an entire field just now?  
  
_Actually.  
  
_ That's  **exactly**  what happened.   
  
"Troublesome.."  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
Once their brain-cells reattached themselves and their brains rebooted enough to function, the squealing evolved into shrieks of  _delight_ and _adoration._  
  
They went from curious girls to full-blown committed, senseless,  _rabid_  fans.  
  
_Because Naruto was just so cooooool~_  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The only one of the people there that weren't actively trying to gather their thought-process and make it somewhat coherent- was Minato.   
  
No, the blond boy was going through the entire fight in his mind, analysing the way they moved with precision and utmost confidence. While Naruto's clones and explosions might have been seen as excessive to some- he didn't think they were. In fact, the boy's tactic for buying time was rather ingenious if not brilliant.   
  
Not to mention he'd learned something invaluable during that fight; he'd been wrong regarding shadow-clones.  
  
Shadow-clones was versatile to the  _extreme_. The amount of chakra Naruto had made him not just a ninjutsu powerhouse but also unpredictable because he didn't seem to have the same restraints that regular shinobi like he did.  
  
Still. Minato was merely a ten-year-old boy and a boy who had just seen a totally  _awesome_  fight, so he was completely entitled to the sparkling eyes and a minor case of hero-worship that took root inside of him.   
  
Really, who could blame him after watching something like that? It was the first fight he'd seen between _real_ shinobi as well.  
  
So he couldn't help but wonder; Would he be able to become that strong too?  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose, briefly wondering if he could give the position of Hokage to someone else so he wouldn't have to deal with the two idiots in front of him.   
  
"How do you even turn a simple D-rank mission into a  _war-zone?_ " Because that was something even  _he_  couldn't imagine the _Sannin_ managing on their own. And Hiruzen's students was far from orderly shinobi. Quite the opposite.  
  
"In my defence," Jiraiya held up a hand to stop the incoming shit-storm heading his way, "It was Naruto's jutsu." He pointed a thumb at the short blond.  
  
" _Oi!_ " Naruto shouted at the white-haired man, offended, a glare and eyes screaming bloody murder for throwing him to the mercy of tigers, "You used the damn _Rock Pistol_ on me! What the hell was I supposed to do!? I could have died!"  
  
"But you didn't, did you?" He said smugly and received a hard kick to his shin and let out a sharp  _'ow!'_. "Don't be so damn violent!"   
  
"WHO'S VIOLENT!?"  
  
"Enough!" Hiruzen raised his voice just as the two pulled their fists back to deliver a round of retribution. He sighed in exasperation, "The only reason you're not getting punished for this is because the man signed a contract about lending his property to the academy and any damage it takes will be overlooked." He frowned and crossed his arms, "I'm giving the two of you a C-rank mission to get you out of the village for a couple of weeks. Do me a favor and stay out of trouble, will you? I'd rather not explain why a caravan was reduced to splinters by anything other than enemy nins or bandits. Am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Yes sir!" the two chorused, subtly kicked each other in the shins.  
  
"Now get out of my office before I give you a month's worth of D-ranks without pay."  
  
The two were gone before the man had even finished his sentence.   
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
"I think that went rather well, wouldn't you agree?" The Sannin appeared genuinely surprised.  
  
"I thought he was going to make us train the academy brats." Naruto admitted and shuddered, "I don't think I would have been able to handle that."  
  
"Agreed." the man nodded sagely.  
  
Neither of them liked brats all that much. Naruto didn't count because he wasn't actually a brat. Just a chibi Hokage. Kind of like Yagura but more deadly and less insane. Heh, yeah, that wasn't very reassuring.   
  
"So where are we going exactly?" Naruto inquired.   
  
"No clue." Jiraiya unravelled the scroll and skimmed through the contents; his eyebrows touched his hairline, "Uzushio."  
  
The boy blinked and then grinned, "Awesome! I was thinking of getting into fuinjutsu more seriously, and I've wanted to get my hands on some good books about it. Since I'm an Uzumaki and all that I feel kinda obligated to at least learn _some_  new stuff. Won't be much of an Uzumaki if I can't even do what Kushina did."  
  
"I could brush up on some of it myself." he pushed his hands in to his pockets and frowned, "The stuff I learned was from the remains of a lost legacy so it's nowhere near as complete as it could be this time around. I've already thought you all that I know so going to Uzu to continue our studies seem like a pretty good idea to be honest."  
  
"Do you think they'll mind if we stay in Uzu for a while?" he didn't want to rush if he didn't have to and if he could remain in Uzushio and ask some of the actual Uzumaki about the art then that would be  _awesome_. He already knew a lot of fuinjutsu since he helped make a seal to allow time-travel- but there was so many things, so much  _knowledge_  that disappeared when Uzushio fell the first time.   
  
He wasn't going to allow it to happen again. Naruto wasn't the last Uzumaki anymore and if he had anything to say about it then he never would be. He had a clan now, a large, powerful clan that ruled their own country and made other nations tremble from simply hearing their name.   
  
Besides, he owed it to himself, his mother and his fallen clan to learn everything he could so that should he ever need to- he would be able to rely on the legacy that was rightfully his. 


	5. Contraception

It was just past sunrise when Naruto and Jiraiya dropped down from the rooftop to land on the ground by the southern gate of the village.

Surprisingly enough the two of them were the only Shinobi hired for the job. It wasn't common to travel in a duo, but Naruto supposed that it might have something to do with punishment or whatever.

"There they are."

Just outside of the village walls stood a large caravan with a rich-looking man in his forties, a woman and a small boy of six who struggled against his mother's firm grip of his hand.

"Are you the Shinobi I hired?" The man asked curtly, his tone making Naruto raise a brow and Jiraiya frown.

"That would be us." Jiraiya confirmed simply, already getting a feeling the man was going to be a pain in the ass to deal with. Naruto, while aware that acting out against a client was considered a bad thing, he still wanted to throttle the bastard.

The man raised his chin, "My name is Tanaka Gyorai. You will escort me, my family and my caravan to Uzushio. I won't accept failure." He then turned around and left, a stick up his ass and an attitude that would have insulted even Sasuke.

Naruto stared at the back of the man for a long moment until suddenly he felt a sharp pain spike from his shin. He looked down, the six-year-old boy had kicked him in the shin for no apparent reason and then sticking out his tongue to the blond Shinobi. The boy ran after his parents, leaving a rather pissed off Naruto behind.

Did the contact say anything about murdering the client?

"I hope they don't expect us to keep an eye on that little shit," Jiraiya grumbled with a frown. Even if Naruto was perfectly capable of taking care of himself- the client's son had still kicked _his_ son. Only he could do that!

"Kakashi taught me how to put people in a death-like state. Give me a senbon and a good reason and I'll take out the whole lot of them. Nobody will know." Naruto volunteered a little too cheerfully.

"Are you two coming? We're leaving!"

"Asshole." The two quietly chorused before adjusting their backpacks and soldiering forward and in to a mission that would no doubt grate on every single nerve they had before the end of the week.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
The next day Minato woke up in his bed after coming home from the overnight survival training with his class.

The entire thing had started out reasonable enough if not a little boring. After all, he was on campfire duty and watching the fire was as entertaining as watching paint dry. Not very much in other words.

That quickly changed with the surprising appearance of the legendary toad Sannin and his adoptive son. A boy around his own age. Whenever he thought about it a sliver of jealousy would take root because Minato was an orphan too. Imagine if Jiraiya adopted him as well? Or any of the other Sannin. The thought brought a smile to his face but even he knew how ridiculous it sounded. Still, daydreaming never hurt anyone.

But like his fellow classmates Minato's highlight during the day was the fight between the newly famous boy and the Sannin. It was an incredible match.

Well, not really but he was ten, and he didn't know any better.

The class talked about it the entire day and at the end of it their sensei's sat down with them and allowed them to ask questions. Everything from how D-ranks worked to techniques and strategies the two of them used. It was quite productive and informative if anything. Minato absorbed the information like a sponge and committed it to memory.

Just like his classmates his thoughts remained with the boy throughout the day. He'd never admired someone before, at least not to the extent that he did with Uzumaki Naruto. He wasn't sure what it was exactly but the strength the boy held was enough to leave him awestruck. The sudden desire to train and grow stronger, to catch up to the boy and make him acknowledge him was practically overwhelming. It didn't make much sense to Minato since he'd never spoken with the boy before and he somehow doubted that he would get the opportunity any time soon.

Besides.. why would Uzumaki Naruto want to speak with a random orphan with a minor case of hero-worship, to a boy who was younger than him if rumors proved truthful as well.

_That's right,_ he thought dejectedly, _he wouldn't._

Minato wasn't even a real Shinobi yet. Sure, he was the top of his class and pretty smart if the records he continued to break as the smarted Shinobi hopeful yet was any indication, but it mattered little without a headband to show for it. It depressed him.

Naruto was younger than him but already so much further ahead.

The boy sat up on his bed and leaned into his hand, eyes locked to the bright blue, and cloud-free sky while birds broke the monotone sight.

He let out a long-suffering sigh and shook his head to clear his mind of negative thoughts.

"I just have to work harder." He said softly, careful not to wake up his roommate Koto who was still fast asleep. Koto was a civilian and went to an average civilian school. From what he knew about him the boy wanted to be a carpenter like his father had been.

The two of them didn't speak much because their interests was far and few between. Koto didn't like Shinobi because Shinobi from Iwa killed his father during a raid of the caravan he was a part of, and Minato found it difficult to talk about his own interests since everything he liked had to do with Shinobi. Becoming one was his dream and maybe even one day he could become the Hokage. That brought a smile to his face but then he thought about the other blond boy yet again and frowned.

Minato had _a lot_ of catching up to do.

Unknown to Minato it wasn't a very realistic goal because Naruto had decades of Hokage experience, survived wars and betrayal and also had one of the bijuu sealed inside of him who also threw some knowledge at him from time to time.

Not very fair but thankfully Minato didn't know that, or he might have given up and not unconsciously made the other blond boy his goal and rival(although one of them had no idea about it and it was entirely one-sided).

Minato slid out from underneath his rather pathetic blanket and dressed quietly, making sure he didn't wake up Koto so he'd get angry with him again. He left the room minutes later and walked in to the kitchen. It was empty, it always was since the academy started much earlier than civilian schools or jobs.

With practice he'd become pretty good at cooking but only the simple things like omelettes, rice and sandwiches. There was nobody to help him in the morning so he had to learn unless he wanted to go hungry for the day. While the caretakers in the orphanage cooked dinner and supper, they didn't actually sleep there during the night aside from the old lady with all the keys who smelled funny. The kids called her the 'Guard dog' because she had a really shrill voice and barked when she was angry. Not to mention her appearance that told of old age and too much work.

After a quiet breakfast, Minato left with his books and papers pressed firmly to his chest, arms crossed and locking them in. Even if his living situation was far from pleasant most of the time, his steps were light and carefree when he walked towards the academy every day.

Going to the academy was one of the best things in the world. Everything he learned was interesting and then the feeling of growing stronger after each spar, every training session and then receiving good marks as confirmation that he did well. That was all the encouragement he needed to do his very best.

He wanted to be a Shinobi so badly that the ache of his muscles didn't discourage but motivated. The pain from sparing with the other kids didn't build fear of pain but rather making him determined to avoid it by getting stronger.

In short, Minato was every teacher's dream. Not that he knew that but still. A model student.

Upon entering the academy building he was greeted by the familiar 'Good morning Minato-kun', 'You're early today Minato-kun!' And so on and so forth.

Minato was always a little bit early so he could go through the planned lessons of the day and prepare everything he'd need to know. He wasn't really a paper-ninja but he was good at it. You could say that he had both the practical talent as well as the theoretical one. Which is also why he'd been at the top of his class since the day he'd entered it at the age of six.

He opened his book on chakra theory, skimming the pages a good three times before smiling faintly at one of the sections.

Water-walking. It was only used as an example of what you could do after gaining adequate chakra control but it was still something that brought a smile to his face. Because the first time he'd seen Uzumaki Naruto was when he sat in the middle of the lake and ate an apple.  
  
Which also meant that he could water-walk and probably tree-climb as well.

Unfortunately, Minato didn't know how to do that yet because they weren't that far into the theory for him to test it. According to their sensei, it was something taught to genin when they received a jounin instructor. So he'd either have to wait ten more months or try to learn on his own. But if he wanted to remain at the top of his class then he'd need to focus on school things first. Which meant that water-walking had to wait until later.

"Morning." A voice drawled and the blond boy looked up, a smile quickly cementing in his face upon seeing his friend Nara Shikaku. The boy had brown hair in a pineapple ponytail, a gray vest and brown pants. His eyes drooped- they always did, but Shikaku was a genius. Even if he did the bare minimum of what was needed, he always did those things to perfection.

"Good mornings Shikaku!"

"Something good happened? You look happier than usual." The Nara sank into the chair next to him and promptly dropped his head on the desk.

Minato shook his head, "Nothing special. Just in a good mood, that's all."

The brunet pried his right eye open and stared thoughtfully at his friend for a moment before closing it again, "You've been all sunshine and smiles since you saw the fight between Jiraiya and Uzumaki."

He sweat-dropped, "Is it that obvious?"

"You've always been obvious."

"It was an amazing fight though," he let out an almost longing sigh at the memory and caused the Nara to look at him again, although in amusement this time, "I never knew shadow-clones could be used like that. Did you?"

Shikaku shrugged but admitted, "Not really. I've read about the technique but it's almost never used from what I can tell. It's too dangerous because of the chakra drain. Uzumaki must have crazy reserves to make hundreds like he did.. not to mention blow them all up."

Minato nodded in full agreement, "He didn't look very tired until he detonated them."

"He's a chakra monster." He snorted and wrapped his arms around his head, effectively ending the conversation in favour of a nap.

Minato didn't mind, far too used to the way his friend worked. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, thoughts coming and going until their sensei entered the class room to start the first lecture of the day.

He only paid half attention; he already knew what his sensei was talking about anyway.

No, instead he wondered what _he_ was doing right now.

 

* * *

 

 

  
"Die, _die, DIE!_ " Naruto stomped another fallen bandit in the face.

The first day had been one of his worst ones _ever_. _The little shit_ , as the client's son was now called, kicked him, hit him, _spit_ on him, accused him of abuse and finally faked crying to his mother that Naruto had, apparently, called him names.

He hadn't. **But he wishes he had.**

His temper, as an Uzumaki, was rather infamous for being short-fused.

_Naruto was currently on the verge of murder._

Jiraiya was of similar thoughts but didn't have to deal with Itsu aka: The Little Shit, because he was forced to deal with his father Tanaka and the man was just as dreadful as his kid. His arrogance, pompous attitude, rude and cringeworthy self-declarations made Jiraiya want to sic him and leave him in a ditch. Then there was his wife who Jiraiya could safely say was a bloody idiot.

Not only was she daft as a cow and didn't know the first thing about childrearing- but had the gal to shout at Naruto, _his son,_ for telling off _The Little Shit_ about hitting him.

If they weren't contracted to them, then he was pretty sure the caravan would be without a head family to manage it by now.

It was rare for the Sannin to hate people but this family? He'd gladly let Gamabunta **sit** on them.

Aside from that; Jiraiya had a **massive** headache. Why? The incessant cows _were screaming!_ Ever since the bandits attacked in the hope of an easy plunder, the woman activated her vocal cords and screamed without pause.

That started ten minutes ago, and she still hadn't shut up.

The woman would only pause to suck in a breathe and then continue. She was also completely red and her husband, Tanaka, held her fiercely in his arms- somehow not deaf yet.

Jiraiya had the mind to just let a bloody bandit run up to her so she'd shut up already.

To say that the surprise attack on Naruto two days ago had been worth the mission.. well, it hadn't. _At all_. He was going to think twice about pissing the Sandaime off again.

The only good thing that would come of the mission was returning to Uzushio so they could get their hands on some more fuinjutsu techniques.

It almost made the trip worth it. **Almost.**

It wasn't until nightfall that evening that Jiraiya and Naruto finally got some peace and quiet. The two of them sat up in a tree on a thick branch where they kept an eye on their surroundings.

Naruto let out a sigh, "I forgot what it's like to be a kid and be temperamental. Any other day that little shit wouldn't have been able to push any of my buttons, but now I just want to gut him."

"Mm." The Sannin agreed with a grimace, "I can't say I like them either. If it were up to me I would have left them to the bandits the second they arrived. Their disrespect towards us reflects poorly on the type of things Konoha is prepared to do for money and missions."

"If it were me under that hat again I would have told them to piss off the same way they came. Why's Jiji even allowing them our service?"

"The war." Was the simple reply.

Realization dawned on the blond, and his eyes widened, "I've completely forgotten about the second war.. I've been so fixed on the war coming to Uzu."

"I don't blame you." Jiraiya frowned, "Right now it's mostly skirmishes in and around Ame, Taki and Kusa. We've managed to keep the fighting outside of Fire but it's for that reason the third war starts. The smaller nations band together to crush Konoha since we started this war. No matter what people say- we did start it." He sighed again, "Kiri is eerily quiet but they will attack Uzu when they finish organizing their troops. Iwa will take the opportunity Kiri presents and together they destroy Uzu. Without the seal masters Kumo gets bolder and launches a full blown attack to crush our forces."

"I suppose that means I'm going to be fighting as well." Naruto's voice was bitter and dry.

"Not much, thankfully." Jiraiya admitted, "When I got my genin team the first time around sensei limited our missions to inside Fire country. He didn't want me to get ambushed by a bunch of kids under my protection. Not to mention without Orochimaru and Tsunade there to back me up."

That made sense. From what he remembered the second war wasn't fought inside of Fire but rather everywhere else. It was the loss of Uzu that made Hiruzen gather all available Shinobi to crush Iwa in revenge which resulted in bloodbath. Kiri's army was practically gone already so they posed no threat.

Anyway, he didn't want to get involved if he didn't have to. But even he knew he'd end up on the front lines sooner or later.

Still, if they managed to save Uzu while simultaneously destroying Kiri's forces and most likely a large part of Iwa's- he was pretty confident that the outcome of the following wars would be very different.

Even he knew that while Uzushio Shinobi were few, they all held the value of at least three or four Konoha Shinobi in the field. It was also the Uzu-nin who got targeted first since they were considered the most dangerous.

Naruto wasn't going to allow that this time. If he had to, then he'd use the damn Hiraishin to teleport every single soul from Uzu straight into Konoha.

But then again. Last time they didn't have a Jinchuuriki that was able to control the Kyuubi's chakra nor having the chakra construct as an ally. That would change things a lot. If he allowed Kurama to momentarily use his full strength so he entered his chakra cloak, he could stand on the shoreline and send bijudama bombs over the entire Kiri fleet. If the thought of killing so many people didn't disturb him so much he might have laughed.

"I don't want to talk about the war." Naruto decided after a moment of heavy silence, "Not unless we have to. I'd rather pretend the damn thing isn't happening so I can focus on growing up to fit into the pants I came in. I'd rather not fight in any war."

"Who would." But Jiraiya didn't disagree. Truth be told he didn't want to relive the thing again. Getting a genin team wasn't just for the satisfaction of his sensei but also for his piece of mind. It would allow him to stay away from the battle and keep Tsunade and Orochimaru in the village.

"On a different note," Naruto grinned, "Who're you taking on as genin this time around?"

The man snorted, amused and mildly exasperated, "You know who."

"Minato," Naruto said although it was a sense of detachment in his voice like he was trying to make an effort not to be affected by the name.

"Yeah, Minato."

"Will I be on the same team? Or do I keep my apprenticeship on the side?" He asked in the same manner.

Jiraiya frowned, concerned but also understanding, "You will always be my apprentice Naruto. Minato may have been my first in another lifetime but things are different now. You and I are different people and Minato won't be your dead father but your teammate. I have no doubt in my mind that when you two start to form a friendship you'll become inseparable. Frankly I'm more concerned about the other genin. I'm not picking the same ones from the other two since both of them died right after becoming chunin."

Naruto pulled up a knee and hugged it to his chest, "You think we can become friends?" He asked softly.

"Think? I know you will. He's nothing like Sasuke so don't lose sleep over it. But it's still ten months away until then so unless you want to become his friend already- I would suggest focusing on training."

"You're right; I'm being stupid." He then chuckled in mild disbelief, "Since when did I start to worry about this kind of things?"

"It's just built up anxiety. Plus you know that he's inside of the village and alive. I'd be worried if you didn't feel anything."

"I suppose that's true," Naruto admitted and leaned backwards, hands resting against the branch. "But I still think I'm gonna wait until he becomes a genin."

The Toad Sage nodded. "I agree. I'm doing the same."

With that, the two of them fell into a comfortable silence for the rest of the night.

 

* * *

 

 

  
"After everything we've been through I should send a complaint to the Hokage!" Tanaka accused, "Fortunately for you that would take up too much of my previous time. Now be gone!" He waved his hand dismissively before taking the hand of The Little Shit and the banshee to his side, chin up and walking away like the pompous asshole he was.

Naruto couldn't bring himself to be angry anymore. Instead, he flicked the man his finger, sent off a wave of KI and watched with glee as Itsu stumbled and fell off the dock and into the sea.

Jiraiya and Naruto walked past the hysterical parents, ignoring their cries for help and to 'do their jobs' and moved towards the village of Uzushio.

They were dismissed already, so the brat wasn't their concern anymore.

Maybe he'd even drown?

It didn't take long for Naruto to feel genuinely happy after the torturous mission. Walking the streets of Uzu was probably his new favorite thing in the world. The place was beautiful and there was this strange feeling in his gut whenever he allowed himself to feel the wind and the sound of the sea. Almost like longing and yearning of 'home'.

While he loved Konoha it wasn't comparable to Uzu. He may only be half Uzumaki but it was the dominant half and that was all that mattered. He carried the name, the talent for fuinjutsu, the vast reserves and their longevity. As far as he was concerned he was only Uzumaki. It's not like he didn't like the Namikaze legacy but because it didn't feel like him. Uzumaki felt like him and judging by the soft humming of chakra in the air- so did Uzushio.

He took in everything he saw; the white cobblestone, the white buildings with red roof-tiles, the faint scent of roses from the rose bushes that could be seen at almost every corner, the merchants that laughed far more than they did in Konoha. There was a comradeship between them. They knew each other like friends and so did the customers who smiled just as widely as the merchants. The Shinobi was no different. Their standard uniform of white with a typical gray vest and red or white forehead protector with a single whirlpool as an insignia. Most of them also wore a sword of some kind. It was likely that Uzu-nin was highly skilled in kenjutsu just like Kiri judging by the sheer amount of swords he'd seen so far.

His gaze wandered to the smaller details such as the scribed seals on the cobblestone that would shine slightly when you walked on them, the seals on the buildings that shone when you enter through the door or when a bird sat perches on a windowsill.

People were happy here, Naruto saw, they were happy, so, _so happy._ So at that moment, he swore once more that he'd never let Uzu fall. If he had to stand in the central square on his own and fight tooth and nail, then he would. Nobody was allowed to destroy the home of _his_ clan.

Naruto pulled to a stop by one of the vendors. It was a jewellery vendor that held goods from Uzushio itself and not from some other exotic country.

"Good day young man!" A woman in her late thirties grinned at him. It was infectious, so he grinned right back. "A Konoha Shinobi are you?"

He nodded, "Uzumaki Naruto at your service ma'am!"

The woman with long brown chestnut curls blinked once and then twice before she leaned forward and allowed her green eyes to wander up and down his body, appraising him like a rare specimen, "Uzumaki you said?"

A hand raised behind his head where he scratched it sheepishly, "Half. My mother was an Uzumaki and my father a fisherman. I was adopted by a Konoha Shinobi not too long ago."

"Ah," she smiled, that made much more sense, "I've seen brown haired Uzumaki and even orange but never a blond one. I have to say you had me doubtful." A soft laugh escaped her.

"Yeah I know, I don't have the common traits." He said and smiled back.

She clapped her hands and beamed, "Which makes this visit perfect!" He looked at her curiously, a clear question in his eyes, "Since you don't look like a normal Uzumaki you should get something that helps people recognize you as one. Look here for example," she pointed down at the many rings that carried orange gemstones as well as red and green ones, "These are very common for Uzumaki women. But since you're a Shinobi I don't think a ring would be suitable."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Shinobi usually don't wear jewellery from what I've seen."

"Oh no," her finger wiggling from side to side, "Uzushio Shinobi wear jewellery. Kunoichi often have hair-clips with genjutsu bells. Shinobi usually have earrings with similar traits."

Huh. He didn't know that.

"I don't think I'd need a genjutsu seal on it but maybe an earring? I've never had one before." It could be interesting enough, and he wasn't opposed to the idea of looking more Uzumaki since the Uzumaki crest from his time didn't exist on their vests.

She nodded, tapped her chin thoughtfully and then snapped her fingers, "I've got just the thing. I noticed you wear a bit of orange. Look at this one," the woman held forward a dangling earring roughly an inch long with a small Uzumaki crest hanging at the end of it. The swirl was orange, and the pearl at the top was of pure silver.

And Naruto _loved_ it.

From the look in his eyes, the woman could tell she'd hit the nail on the head so she said, "It would suit you. If you start wearing one of the Uzushio hairstyles, then I can guarantee that you'll break hearts before you turn eighteen. Your uniform is already cool so no need for improvements there!" A thumbs up and another beaming smile had the boy sold.

"I'll take it. How much?"

"This one is made from pure silver, and the crest is amber stone so it's on the pricer side I'm afraid." A rather sheepish look overtook her. It wasn't her intention to try and rob the boy.

Naruto threw off her concerns, "I have money."

"560 Ryo then." She said.

It was pricey, but Naruto didn't care and pulled out his Gama-chan wallet and pointedly ignored the sudden chuckle in front of him. He'd never part with Gama-chan.

**Ever.**

He handed her the money and received the earring in return. The stone was cold against his skin, but it was a strangely refreshing feeling.

"Thank you for your purchase Naruto-san! Please come again sometime!"

"I will!" Naruto assured before disappearing into the crowd again. He'd long since lost Jiraiya, he realised, but then he shrugged and spied the area for a hair saloon.

If he was going to do it, then he might as well go all out at once.

It didn't take long to locate a hair saloon, and it was with determined and excited steps he entered at the sound of a bell ringing from above him. He paid it no mind.

Shuffling of feet and then a young man rounded the corner and moved towards the reception desk.

He was a handsome man, Naruto noted, black long hair in a high ponytail with a single braid on each side of his face along with startling blue eyes. He smiled, "Welcome. What can I do you for Shinobi-san?"

"Erm well. it's like this; I'm half Uzumaki, but I don't look like one-"

"-but you want people to see an Uzumaki regardless." He finished, and Naruto nodded quickly.

The young man's eyes twinkled with mischief and humour before gesturing towards one of the saloon chairs, "I know just the thing."

Naruto quickly followed, a bit miffed at finding that he couldn't reach the floor after taking a seat.

"Oh," he then remembered, "I bought this earlier. If that makes any difference." A little uncertain and awkward.

The barber took a peek over his shoulder and nodded after seeing the earring, "You have lovely thick hair so if we go for the October style.. hmm, yes."

There was no point in asking what the hell an 'October style' was so instead he leaned back and allowed the man to do as he saw fit. He didn't exactly have an eye for fashion, but at least he wasn't as bad as Gai and Lee.

It was with fascination that Naruto watched himself seemingly transform from a silly chibi Shinobi to something that would have made him pause in his first life.

It wasn't much, granted, but it was enough to make a huge difference. Over the years he'd grown out his hair a little, not quite as long as his fathers had been on the Hokage portrait but much longer than his usual cut that almost touched his scalp.

The bangs on one side of his face was pulled back to the side of his head after a simple trimming and held in place by three small metallic hair clutches that also gave the minor illusion of braids. Although this was far more manageable. The rest was left hanging but cut in such a way that it wouldn't get in his eyes even though the bangs on the other side appeared much longer. The back of his head was still the same spiky blond hair but hung a little lower than the normal upright.

The man took hold of the earring he'd bought and looked up at the boy in the mirror, asking a silent question if he was allowed to pierce his ear. Naruto nodded and the man proceeded.

It didn't hurt. It just stung for a second, and after the earring was in place, Kurama swiftly healed the wound and made the hole permanent.

"What do you think?"

What did he think? He looked at himself and smirked.

" _Awesome_."


	6. Bad ideas come in pairs

The moment Naruto sat foot on the street again he felt renewed, almost reborn. He didn't dislike the previous look he had but it reminded him too much of another life. Naruto wasn't Uzumaki Naruto the demon brat anymore. He was Uzumaki Naruto, son of Jiraiya of the Sannin and chunin of Konoha.

If he had to say so; the later sounded far better.

Last time he'd gone from genin straight to Hokage so he never got to enjoy the various ranks you could get. It made him feel a little bitter that nobody recommended him for chunin or jounin despite everything he did. Despite the wars he was never field promoted. It was simply straight to Kage when he was old enough. While flattering in its own way- it felt a little like cheating. As if he'd missed out on something his old friends got to experience.

That was incredible what a new hairstyle could do.

Not long ago he was Uzumaki Naruto and his parents Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato. But now he wasn't anymore. Now he was a blond Uzumaki boy who's father had been a fisherman and his mother, a civilian Uzumaki.  _This_  was his new reality. His new life and it was past time that he started living it.

Strangely enough, he wasn't sad over losing his old identity. Honestly, it felt like shredding your skin and getting rid of something unnecessary and burdensome. Like a winter coat during spring.

He still missed many things like the few surviving friends he had and the people he'd gotten to know during his time in office. Along with the simple fact that he was aware that no wars were on the horizon there. But the price for victory had been so high that winning was bitter and hollow. What point was there to a war if the winner stood upon a ruin when it was finished?

Naruto shook his head to get rid of the dark thoughts.

Unlike his traitorous mind, the streets of Uzushio was buzzing with life. Shinobi, civilians, merchants and even a couple of birds, cats and dogs moved up and down the streets.

A Shinobi with red hair and violet eyes raised his hand in a small gesture of acknowledgment, immediately recognizing another Uzumaki from the boy's appearance. Naruto grinned, waved back and let out of heavy sigh of relief that he didn't know he was holding.

_Uzumaki_ , he played with the name,  _his_  name.

The sound of a bell caught his attention. It was loud but still rather soft to the sound. His gaze moved to the distance where a large clock tower could be seen from above the rooftops.

"Crap!" He'd been gone a good two and a half hours. Naruto hurried down the street towards the town square only to realise that they never decided on a place to meet nor their actual plan of action when they arrived in Uzu. Not more than; library, scrolls, fuinjutsu and pissing off the Sandaime.

It took everything he had not to pinch the bridge of his nose and let out a long series of curses.

But that didn't last long at all, "Don't you look fly." Jiraiya smirked, the man was sitting on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the square. The fountain was a combination of a giant statue of a mermaid holding two ships and then a large open pool surrounded it. In other words it was pretty big and grand.

"Impulse buy." The boy admitted, and the older man looked pleasantly surprised.

"I didn't know you had style. You've always had horrible fashion sense."

"Great. Thanks for that." Naruto grumbled, pouted and tried not to feel as offended as he was.

Jiraiya held up his hands in defence and chuckled, "I'm  _just_  saying."

"Whatever. What are we doing first?"

"Well since you took the liberty of going on a shopping spree as soon as we got here-  _I_  went to the Uzukage to inform him of our stay and sent a message to sensei that we'll head back when we head back. Whenever that is." Jiraiya grinned, mischief that Naruto was all too familiar with shining in his eyes and stretching his smile a little wider than usual.

There was no point in trying to decipher him, "So," he repeated, "Where to?"

"Library!" The man declared and pointed towards a vast and grand white building not too far away from them, "We have fuinjutsu to learn!"

While the prospect of studying made Naruto was to hiss like a drenched cat, the idea of learning something new that belonged to his clan was oddly enough all he needed to follow with a small skip in his steps.

 

* * *

 

Four hours later the two of them could still be seen sitting by one of the many tables in the library, piles upon piles of books between them and heads bent and buried in between the pages, eyes wide in terrifying focus and immersion.

Meanwhile the librarian could only watch on in confusion as they read everything from simple sealing theory to space-time sealing arrays. It wasn't normal for foreigners to be allowed the opportunity to read up on the Uzushio arts but with a written certificate of clearance from the Uzukage.. well, nobody could argue with that. Instead the librarian hoped to everything holy that they would put back all the books in the right place when they finished with them.

That, unfortunately, was the last thing on their minds. Instead, Naruto and Jiraiya read shelves worth of space-time books. Sure, they had managed to make a time-travel seal, but it wasn't the same thing as regular space-time seals in the way that it didn't remove you from time but rather moved you to another place.

It was complicated.

But the reason for their constant studying of space-time seals was for one reason alone; they needed a teleportation seal.

Why? Simple, if Kiri and Iwa found out that Konoha knew about the invasion, then their plans would change. News would leak to Kumo that Konoha forced wasn't in Konoha, and all hell would break loose.

The idea was that if they could build a space-time seal and have it act as a connected pathway, a ley-line between Uzu and Konoha, then they could move Uzushio's civilians to Konoha, sent Konoha Shinobi to Uzu and at the same time send back troops to Konoha for treatment in between the fighting.

However, to manage something like that they would have to power it with something and the only thing they could come up with so far was regular Shinobi. To keep the ley-line open they'd have to have four Shinobi on each side who could maintain the path stable when sending people back and forth.

If they rotated two or three teams of four on each teleportation station, then they should technically be able to keep the thing open permanently during the battle.

The whole thing was rather simple in theory and with an entire village of Uzumaki, it was far from impossible. They already had minor teleportation seals, but unlike them Naruto and Jiraiya was from the future where the fastest man in the world left behind enough material to recreate the Hiraishin if the one trying was knowledgeable enough about seals. Which Naruto and Jiraiya was.

If they used the Hiraishin seal as a primary frame and the fact that the Yondaime's old guard could use the technique whilst together.. well, with a lot more power, a proper seal drawn on the ground to power, anchor and maintain- they would be able to basically open a door between the two villages.

It was an idea that came out of nowhere.

Naruto sat with his head in a space-time sealing theory book when the boy had sighed in irritation and exclaimed that it would be a whole lot easier to protect Uzushio if they could just get all the civilians in Uzu to move to Konoha whilst at the same time getting the Konoha forces to Uzu. All of this while not alerting either Iwa or Kiri of them knowing about the plans for an invasion. The thought had been nagging him for a while after seeing how much knowledge had been lost with Uzushio's fall. Protecting civilians and fighting an army? Yeah, that wasn't going to be easy.

Naturally as soon as the words left his mouth the librarian shushed him and Jiraiya stared at him like he'd just grown another head before saying; "That might actually work." Of course Naruto had no idea what the hell he was talking about until Jiraiya mentioned the Hiraishin and a long range teleportation seal and it's possibilities. It was outrageous..

_And bloody genius._

After that, the marble fell, and the boy gaped in bewilderment at the mere  _possibility_.

So there they sat, building a revolutionary seal once more. They were good at that- making things that could cause havoc if anyone with bad intentions got a hold of it. Things that probably shouldn't be done in the first place. But it's not like that ever stopped them before. So why start now when they'd already effed things up by traveling to the past?

_Exactly_.

"This is going to take days to finish," Naruto said quietly, pen, notes, and books scattered around him in  _organised_  chaos.

The Sannin nodded, "But we've got time. We might have to stay here for a few weeks, but at this rate, the Uzukage might just request that we do anyway."

"Has he talked to the Sandaime about the invasion yet?"

"Not yet. But he's informed sensei that he's worried about the sudden silence from Kiri. It's not normal and it's worth paying close attention to even if he didn't outright say that they're going to invade." The man leaned back in his chair with a soft groan, popped his back and then frowned, "Danzo is still in the village and chances are that if we tell sensei too soon then something will change and Danzo will meddle. We're going to have to cut it close for this to work and once it's over we're going to have to get rid of the teleportation seal somehow."

Naruto grimaced, "Yeah, Danzo will get a hold of it if we don't. And we really should kill that bastard."

"I know."

"I can do it." Naruto mused out loud, a pleased smile on his face, although a little madness tossed in to it as well, "He's crazy paranoid so it's impossible to poison him because he's immune to  _everything_. At least he  _will_  be. Killing him outright is suspicious and could possibly lead it back to us one way or another.. so that leaves a simple, untraceable, chakra fluctuation seal to give him a heart attack in his sleep. Boom. Dead. Finito."

Jiraiya stared at him with his mouth half open before he snorted incredulously, "You've wanted to kill him for a while now, haven't you?" He accused mildly, far too humorous for speaking about murder.

Naruto shrugged then smirked, "I'm still the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, and that means he's after me by default. He needs to go sooner or later, and I'd prefer to get rid of him  _before_  he wipes out the Uchiha, no matter how much I hate them."

"Fair enough. But enough about the old war hawk, we need to get this seal finished." He tapped the book in front of him with a single finger.

"Yes, _father_."

"Oi!" Jiraiya pointed at the sweet-looking boy, "Don't use that word. You make it sound like a curse!"

The boy snorted loudly and leaned into his hand, "In combination with you-  _it is_  a curse."

"I'll have you know that I can be a great father!"  He sniffed and raised his chin. "You're just too busy trying to get away from me to notice." Wasn't that the truth.

"You tried to kill me." Naruto deadpanned. More than once actually.

"Tough love."

"Or abuse." He corrected.

"I'm just trying to prepare you for future hardship. Adult life and so on and so forth." Jiraiya grinned with a little too much teeth. "Can never be prepared enough."

"Did you figure that before or after your little ambush?" Naruto flashed him a shit-eating grin.

Jiraiya's face immediately soured, "A simple miscalculation, I admit. I'll make sure Tanaka's caravan isn't in the village next time."

"Thanks, that's reassuring.."

It really wasn't.

 

* * *

 

"Why are we doing this again?" Shikaku moaned despairingly, his back firmly planted on the ground and watching the clouds while his friend tried to climb a nearby tree with little success.

Minato smiled and glanced over his shoulder, "'we'? You mean 'I'."

"No, 'we' because you dragged me here against my will." Shikaku corrected.

"I said I was going to try tree-climbing and could use someone else's opinion and you followed." The blond boy chuckled, "But you're not giving me your opinion."

"You suck," Shikaku said simply and received a sweat-drop as a reply. The boy sat up and stared at the tree, frowning ever so slightly and waving his hand forward, "Do it again blondie."

With a small smile, Minato placed his foot on the tree and channelled some chakra into it. For a moment it stuck to the tree but just as he was about to push up and step forward it slid down and hit the ground. It was like glue that didn't stick. Slippery.

"Where are you channelling your chakra?"

"To my foot."

Shikaku waved the reply off and shook his head, "No, I mean  _where_  on your foot."

Minato blinked, a little confused but replied, "Entire foot."

He hummed thoughtfully and pulled up some grass to his side absently, "Try focusing it to just the bottom part. The circulation is probably too big to make it stick. I think you stick to it as much as you stick to ice if you get what I'm saying."

That.. actually made sense. He was channelling his chakra around his foot like a cocoon and not just to the bottom part.

Minato tried again.

This time he skipped the top of his foot and focused it on the bottom part. To his outmost joy he stuck to the tree a whole five seconds before he took another step and was effectively blown five meters backwards and landed right next to Shikaku would a loud thud. The air was knocked out of his lungs and his eyes wide with shocked surprise.

" _Nice_." Shikaku laughed at his face. "Pretty sure that means you're using too much chakra."

" _Ow_..." Minato let out a pathetic whimper and cringed when he tried to get up. He couldn't. So instead he looked up at the sky and noticed all the oddly shaped clouds. "Hey, this is kind of nice. I can see why you like it."

The Nara rolled his eyes and laid back down, this time next to Minato. The blond was one of his few friends who actually managed to meet and challenge his intellect. Although he wasn't afraid to admit that the blond was a bit of a goof and scatterbrain at times. One of the kindest boys in his class, sure, but surprisingly serious when it came to anything Shinobi. He was also a strikingly apparent prodigy. To Shikaku Minato could already be a genin and would have been able to graduate sooner if he'd taken the exam. Instead Minato argued that he'd rather wait so he had time to go through the entire curriculum and didn't miss anything.

But that still meant that he'd graduate early like his entire class would. Their class contained children of all ages while their educational level was roughly the same. But Minato was a bit unique in that he could have graduated  _even earlier_  but chosen not to. He just hogged the title of student of the month for as long as he could. Sneaky bastard.

"What team do you want to be on when you graduate?" Minato asked after a while of cloud-watching.

Shikaku mentally shrugged, "I already know what team I'll be on. I overheard my old man talking." For all his genius Shikaku's father was loose-lipped when he was drunk.

"Oh?" Curiosity was making him turn his head to face his friend.

"Chouza and Inoichi." He sighed, "Something about the perfect team for 'catch and detained' missions."

"Chouza-san and Inoichi-san seems like great teammates." Minato smiled while his friend frowned,

"A human trashcan and the village's biggest gossip."

A little sheepish the blond added, "An  _interesting_  team?"

"That's one way to put it," Shikaku grumbled.  
He wouldn't admit it out loud, but if he could pick his team himself, he would have chosen Minato and Chouza. Chouza was a nice guy and a heart just as big as his stomach. Minato was always good company and the one he considered his best friend, so naturally, he'd want to be on a team with him.

Inoichi was..  _well_.. he talked  _a lot_.

"And jounin-sensei?"

"No clue. He didn't talk about that." It honestly didn't feel that necessary either. Still, "What about you? You wouldn't ask unless you've been thinking about it yourself."

Sometimes Minato felt pretty stupid for trying to talk around the subject, like now for example when it was evident that Shikaku realised he wanted to talk about his thoughts and problems.

He bit his lip and then after a long moment; he sighed, "I heard that Jiraiya-sama is taking on a genin team after the next graduation. Our class." His voice soft and a little hesitant, "Uzumaki-san will be on his team too.."

Suddenly a whole bunch of things made sense to the Nara. Ever since Minato saw the fight between the two he'd noticed a small change in his friend. Nothing major or serious but still,  _a_   _change_. The way Minato paid more attention in class and tried to apply it in real life like with the tree-climbing-

"But you don't want to be on Jiraiya-sama's team but  _Uzumaki's_  team, right?" The Nara fought the urge to smirk in triumph when the blond boy blushed and turned away just enough to hide his face, "Why'd you want to be on a team with him anyway? He's obviously stronger than us."

Minato thought about it; why  _did_  he want to be on Naruto's team? "I guess I'm just...  _curious_  about him, that's all."

Shikaku wasn't convinced, and his expression told the blond as much. The Nara was thoroughly unimpressed. " _Curious_?"

"He's younger than us so..- you know. I just- I just thought it would be fun if we could be friends because- M-maybe he doesn't have many friends yet." Minato continued while unconsciously digging his grave deeper and deeper, much to Nara's amusement. "He seems nice."

"' _No friends_ ', ' _Seems nice'_?" Shikaku couldn't help but smirk at his friend who seemed to curl in on himself under the brunets scrutiny, "Did you turn in to a fan-boy for the Uzumaki as well?" He asked in a bored drawl, but there was a hint of teasing in his voice.

"N-no!" Minato waved his hands in front of him, face red as a beet and clashing terribly against his bright blond hair. "I-" he let out a heavy sigh and sat up, slumped his head in his hands and groaned, "I want to catch up to him. And.. I want him to notice me.  _Acknowledge me."_

Shikaku frowned. That wasn't normal for the blond boy. He never sought out acknowledgment from other people but was humble, sometimes too humble, so for him to seek it from someone else- someone around their own age no less.

"Do you think it's silly?" Minato asked softly, quietly.

"No." Shikaku replied, "I don't think it's silly. But this isn't like you. You don't know Uzumaki so why'd you want him to approve of you? You've only seen him once, right?"

Minato shook his head, "Twice. I saw him sitting in the middle of the lake the first time."

"That still doesn't explain why you want his approval."

The blond sighed, "I don't know." His hand was moving through his hair in frustration, "Maybe I'm just a fan like everyone else.."

"If you are then you'll most likely want to stop." The other boy shrugged, "As far as I know fans never get the attention they want from the ones they admire. They just make themselves look stupid trying."

Minato nodded in agreement but something coiled in his stomach. He wasn't just a fan, was he? He didn't gush or fawn over him but instead wanted him to notice his existence. Maybe talk to him or perhaps even spar. But then again that would be embarrassing. Minato would lose  _so_  sadly. He'd rather not fight him and get crushed completely.

It was strange, the feeling he had in his gut. He'd never felt it before, never admired someone he didn't even know. For gods' sake he'd only seen him twice! Still, his gaze searched for him in the crowds and always listened for the sound that could be his voice. The level of intrigue and mystery about the boy had Minato completely transfixed. What was it about him that made one of the Sannin adopt him?

Did Minato have that something too?

Was he jealous of Naruto? Or perhaps envious?

He didn't know.  _Didn't_   _understand_.

"I don't like feelings." Minato sported a rare grimace, "They're so complicated. I don't get them at all."

It was always a known fact during Minato's time with Kushina that the blond was considered a bit of a goof and so emotionally dense that even his wife would look at him like he was an idiot at times. So it wasn't very strange that a ten-year-old Minato was ten times worse.  _Unfortunately_.

Shikaku was the thought that Minato was far better off not knowing about his own fans, which he had no doubt that Minato was completely unaware of even existing. The boy was the most popular one in the academy and he walked around the place like he was wearing an Elizabethan collar from the Inuzuka kennels. How Minato didn't notice the amount of fawning and pining after him Shikaku could never understand. It took everything the Nara had not to punch someone in irritation when walking around with his friend in the village.

Suddenly a lightbulb lit up inside Shikaku's head.

Perhaps Minato was so hooked on the other boy because he was a lot like him. From what Shikaku knew then Naruto was an orphan just like Minato.

He was around the same age as him.

The two of them were both obviously geniuses and prodigies judging by their skills.

The more things the Nara listed, the more sense it made. They were so shockingly similar that it felt almost natural that Minato would be drawn to the Uzumaki. Perhaps if the boy knew about Minato's existence, then the two of them really could become friends with each other.

It wasn't very far-fetched when you thought about it.

"If Jiraiya-sama is taking on a genin team," Shikaku begun slowly, careful with his words, "then there is no way that he'll get someone random and average. The Sandaime wouldn't waste his students teachings on someone who didn't have the potential to become great." Shikaku's lips pulled into a smile as he saw the blond boys frown deepen, "He'd want the best the academy has to offer. Someone talented with lots of potential."

"Someone-"

"-like you."

Satisfied with effectively crushing the boy's depression and worries, he watched Minato's face change from a frown to confusion, realisation and then to elation. He mentally smirked, a plan perfectly executed once again.

"You really think I can do it?" Minato practically beamed.

"If anyone can it's you. Besides, they would have to find two genins that can match their crazy, which you obviously can. They blew up a whole potato field if you've forgotten." He drawled, but Minato wasn't listening. Already too happy about the mere possibility of being on the same team as them.

"I'm going to train!" The boy declared with a smile and got up, chakra instantly channelled to his feet as he ran towards the tree.

Shikaku laid back down and ignored his friend who came flying over his head not five seconds later.

As long as Minato was happy Shikaku didn't care what he did.

After all, what were friends for?


	7. From Saint to Shinigami

Instead of a couple of weeks it became a couple of months. Once the seal was finished it had to be taught to the people who were going to use it- Aka Uzumaki's with chakra control of a common potato. So it fell to Naruto and Jiraiya to teach the selected shinobi how to use it. While the seal itself wasn't that complicated in theory, it required delicate chakra control. To keep the path open between the two seals, one in Uzushio and one in Konoha, it was going to take incredible patience and chakra control. And as everyone on the entire Uzushio island knew; Uzumaki and chakra control didn't exactly belong in the same sentence.   
  
But that's where the problem lay. To keep the seal open and active, you'd need massive reserves that could only be found in Kage's or Uzumaki's who's natural reserves was far bigger than normal shinobi's. Which left them no choice. The Uzumaki  _had_  to learn how to use it to perfection if they wanted to survive the upcoming war. A rumor that was quickly spreading through the shinobi ranks on the island. They were pressed on time and it wasn't until a few weeks ago that the Uzukage couldn't delay the information to the Hokage any longer.  
  
War was coming to Uzu and as allies and sister villages- Konoha had to be ready.  
  
According to Naruto and Jiraiya, the invasion was just two weeks away and as such the two of them had to return to Konoha along with the four selected teams of Uzumaki to keep the seal open from that end. The evacuation of civilians  _had_  to be planned.  
  
So that's why, in the middle of the afternoon, seventeen Uzumaki's and a single Sannin stood outside of the gates and waited for their papers to be cleared. A sight that wasn't exactly normal and thus caused a whole lot of speculations but nothing ground-breaking. Four whole four-man cells along with Jiraiya and his son- a very odd combination since Uzumaki's usually kept to around Uzushio and the ocean.   
  
However, what  _really_  stirred the gossip-mill was when the Hokage himself arrived and received them by the gate with a face so grim that Konoha-nin around the entire village felt something heavy settle in their guts.   
  
They were already at war, skirmishes by the borders of smaller nations but nothing that had yet to spill over and start destroying their ranks in earnest, but the way the old man greeted the Uzumaki was alarming. It was stiff, grave and the man even ignored the standard paperwork clearance in favour of asking them to follow him quickly.   
  
They did, all eighteen of them walked through the village, ignoring the odd and concerned looks in favour of contemplating the coming days and what awaited them in the future.   
  
Naruto was deep in thought. It had only taken them a couple of weeks to finish the seal thanks to the framework of the Hiraishin, but teaching it was harder. Several tests were conducted between various distances and after finally getting everything to work as they had intended- it was almost time for war.   
  
He didn't like war. Never had and never would. But there was something different about this war. It wasn't a fight for humanity's survival but a fight to protect his home. _His_ clan and to better the future for them all. It was also terrifying because he didn't know what he should feel about killing Kiri and Iwa shinobi when he'd fought alongside them during the Fourth Shinobi World War. He had  _friends_  from Iwa and Kiri. He didn't hate them, not in the least.   
  
Sure, Naruto wasn't a saint, at least not anymore. There was a time when he would never have killed another shinobi and instead only knock them out- but after Ino died by doing just that- he'd stopped in favor of making sure they'd never stand back up again. Perhaps it was merely a naive part of his childhood but he'd always thought that killing wasn't necessary. It simply didn't affect him until one day when it suddenly did and his reservations died in an instant. Because if he had to choose between his friend and a stranger who's fingers was wrapped around a kunai and pointed at him- he'd pick his friend every single day of the week.  
  
But it was still bordering on making him sick. Naruto had fought in wars before but not like this. He was used to battling bijuu's and Akatsuki and bloody gods- but not shinobi that he could rip into pieces with his bare hands.   
  
Perhaps it was arrogant of him to think, but it felt like fighting civilians. Weak and fragile humans. Was that how all other kage's felt when fighting genin, chunin, and jounin from various villages? He couldn't speak for them, but it sure was for him.   
  
He wasn't a fool, he knew quite well how powerful he was, but because of that, it felt especially wrong to fight against those who wouldn't stand a chance against him. Naruto may be nine years old- almost ten, but in another life, he'd been closing in on fifty and carried so much battle experience that some veterans paled in comparison.   
  
Naruto steeled his thoughts and doubts; there was nothing that could be done about it. As a chunin of Konoha and an Uzumaki  _and_  the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi- it was his duty to fight and protect Konoha  _and_  Uzushio. Even if that meant walking on to the battlefield like the shinigami himself and defeat everyone in his path.   
  
His thoughts came to a pause when Jiraiya subtly elbowed his side, eyes concerned and understanding while at the same time resolved and determined. "I'm fine." Naruto said, "Just thinking about what I'll have to do when it starts."  
  
Jiraiya placed a hand on his head, a comforting gesture, "We will do what we have to. No matter what."  
  
"No matter what." the boy confirmed with a firm nod.   
  
The group entered a large building that led into the side of the mountain. Naruto remembered the place; it was the old ANBU headquarters. Which meant that this conversation was going to be held in utmost secrecy.   
  
The corridor was dimply lit, a couple of ANBU clad in black cloaks standing by each door they passed until they reached a large pair of double doors. They entered and found themselves in a large chamber.   
  
Inside was the clan heads, head of the departments, Sannin and the advisers of the Hokage. Which meant that Shimura Danzo was there was well.  
  
Naruto fought the urge to curse soundly and exclaim _'what's the bloody point of having the root of all our problems in a damn meeting that's supposed to be secret!?'_. Heh, yeah, the Sandaime sure hadn't thought it all through. Judging by Jiraiya's suddenly sour expression the man thought the exact same thing. Keeping a lid on the old man was going to be difficult this time around. And if the man actually did sabotage something.. well, Naruto could always pay him a visit in the middle of the night and eliminate the problem. Without the sharingan he wasn't all that powerful and he certainly didn't require eleven killing blows to take down.   
  
Still, judging by the man's face, he wasn't all that happy about having Naruto at the war council.   
  
**Tough shit.**  
  
The Hokage took a seat at the head of the chamber while the clan leaders sat to the right side of the room, the advisers and head of the departments to the left. Orochimaru and Tsunade sat next to the Hokage, and the Uzumaki took a seat in the centre where several pillows were placed to make it more comfortable. That is also the place where Naruto and Jiraiya took their seat.  
  
Silence reigned for a long moment before the Hokage spoke, "I now open this meeting."  
  
Nobody said anything but waited for their leader to continue.  
  
"Am I correct in assuming that Arashi-sama is the one speaking for Uzushio?" he asked and let his gaze fall to a familiar red-haired man who wasn't more than in his early twenties much like the Sannin.   
  
He nodded, "That is correct, Hokage-sama. As the successor of the current Uzukage, it has fallen to me to attend this meeting." Arashi bowed politely, although not too deeply. He was still a successor and the Uzukage to be.   
  
Hiruzen returned the gesture, "We're thankful that you're here Arashi-sama." he looked around the room and of all those attending, "Over the past few months, as many of you might have noticed, Kiri has fallen completely silent. We've tried to send our shinobi to confirm their activities and as of yet- none has returned." his lips pressed into a thin line, "Thanks to Uzushio's shinobi we've finally gotten word of what Kiri is doing. They are gathering their troops and preparing for war."  
  
A low murmur broke out from within the chamber but it was quickly silenced, "This, however, is not all." he spoke grimly, "Iwa is doing the same thing and is actively transporting supplies through the northern countries and setting up camps in southern Yu. Uzushio has gathered enough proof to confirm that they've banded together and aim to destroy them."  
  
The God of Shinobi crossed his arms and spoke firmly, nothing he said up for debate, "This  _cannot_  be allowed to happen. If Uzushio falls then our strength will be crippled. Our nations have been allies since its foundation, and as such we will honour that alliance by protecting Uzushio as they do for us. This is not up for debate. However, what is up for discussion is how we plan to do so."  
  
Arashi straightened his back, "It so happens Hokage-sama, that Uzushio has actively worked on a solution since we first noticed Kiri's borders going dark. Of course we didn't know for what reason but as a small nations we prepare for the worst at all times. Kiri has the biggest and most powerful fleet in the elemental nations and because of that we wouldn't stand a chance if we had to face them all alone. Much less if we become surrounded." he then gestured to Jiraiya and Naruto, "Thanks to the opportune moment of Jiraiya-sama and Naruto-san's arrival in Uzushio, we've received much needed help in finalizing one of the forbidden Uzumaki seals that will allow long-distance teleportation. With their unique perspective on seals we've completed a seal that will enable us to move the Uzushio civilians to safety to within Konoha's walls and in return send Konoha's forces to Uzushio without ever having to leave the village, nor alerting enemy nations of your involvement or our knowledge of the incoming invasion."  
  
The council appeared both surprised and impressed by that. But the Hokage latched on to the part about Jiraiya and Naruto helping with such a seal. He knew they were good but not _that_ good.  
  
There was a long moment of silence as Hiruzen stared at the entire Uzumaki group in thought and then towards Naruto and Jiraiya who, irritatingly enough, didn't seem to pay that much attention if the pinky-finger in their ears was anything to go by. The old man mentally sighed. Jiraiya had practically found a clone in the young boy and from what he'd seen of them the younger of the two was the more reasonable one. And  _that_  wasn't very comforting considering the fact that Jiraiya was twenty-one and Naruto was  **nine**.   
  
_How did Jiraiya become someone's father again?  
_  
More importantly; who would be  **insane**  enough to allow it to happen in the first place?!  
  
Hiruzen's gaze landed on Uzumaki Arashi who's eyes were hard. A little too hard. He then looked at the other Uzumaki once again and noticed, to his exasperation, that all of their eyelids were drooping.   
  
Perhaps Jiraiya was secretly part Uzumaki, and their genetics contained a unique section for idiocy- judging by the seemingly chronic lack of attention they all had. At least Arashi made and effort to at least _appear_ professional despite the apparent _strain_ he was under. Then again.. Uzumaki's were pretty famous for being _unique_. The fact that their village was so powerful wasn't a fluke, but it sure took some patience to conduct business with them.  
  
Unbeknownst to him the Uzumaki had travelled almost non-stop for three days and were simply tired and halfway into a coma since they had very little chakra left after their torturous training the weeks prior. _But who cares about reasons._  
  
He mentally sighed once again. Still, it looked like they'd but a lot of thought into their situation already so perhaps his job wouldn't be as difficult as he thought. "I take it this seal you've worked on is part of the Uzumaki clan secrets?"  
  
Arashi nodded, "That is correct. As such we ask that you treat it as you would any other clan secret. The only reason Jiraiya-sama and Naruto-san was able to work on it was because Uzukage-sama recognizes Jiraiya-sama as an exceptional fuinjutsu practitioner and we both share and develop our art together. Naruto-san is already an Uzumaki despite his adoption and residence in Konoha. But even if that wasn't the case," The man gestured to the Uzumaki behind him, "The seal cannot be used by anyone who isn't an Uzumaki. It is simply impossible and since there is nobody in Konoha, aside from Naruto-san, we feel it unnecessary to show you how it works in detail."  
  
The Hokage gave a silent hum of an agreement, "Agreed. Your seal is your own and as long as it doesn't endanger my people I have no issues with Uzushio keeping it a secret. However, if this seal of yours work the way you say it does- it could change the way we handle warfare entirely."  
  
"Agreed." Nara Shikako, apparently the father of Shikaku, said. "You said the seal could teleport a lot of people from one point to another, correct?"  
  
Arashi turned to the Nara, "Allow me to clarify how intended to function; The seal works the same way a door works. To use it you have to place the seal in two place: point A and point B. In Konoha and in Uzushio. This will anchor and maintain the seal without having to hold it in place with chakra. Doing so would be much too difficult. After that you need four Uzumaki on each side to simultaneously power the seal like a battery and fill it with energy. This will open a ley-line or pathway from point A to point B. The actual teleportation is easier. Once someone steps on to the seal it triggers a pulse that will travel to the other side and then the Uzumaki will draw them through. In other words; once someone steps on the seal in Konoha- a shinobi in Uzu will feel the pulse and take hold of it and pull them through to the other side. You basically summon them."  
  
"That would require a lot of chakra, would it not? Is that why it's only Uzumaki's who can use it?"  
  
"That is correct. The seal would suck an average shinobi dry in minutes."  
  
The war council appeared thoughtful until the Nara spoke once more- after all, he was the jounin commander and the best strategists Konoha had. "I take it you've already drawn and assigned teams to maintain the seal in Uzushio?" Arashi nodded, "And these are the teams to handle it from this end?" another nod, "In that case, we should lock down the village." he concluded.   
  
Several of the people frowned in confusion. Looking down an entire village was only done when something of national security(something was stolen) was at stake or the Hokage died, and then of course during an invasion to the village or at least a planned one. But Shikako shrugged off their confusion by elaborating, "As you said Hokage-sama, a seal such as this will change warfare as we know it and it also means that everyone would want to get their hands on it if they can. The best course of action would be to block any possible chance of foreigners entering the village while we handle the invasion in Uzushio. If we lock down the village and activate our barrier then we can spare more men for the actual fighting and prevent people from the outside learning that the Uzushio civilians are taking refuge in Konoha. They will also not suspect that most of the Konoha forces aren't inside of the village. A locked down village is practically impenetrable and we can focus our attention elsewhere."  
  
It was true, the less focus they had to keep on their village the better. If people believed the entire village just suddenly went on a village-wide lock-down, then they wouldn't be able to see or even realise that practically every shinobi was out fighting in a war. Not to mention, Iwa and Kiri would never see Konoha coming. For all they knew, Uzu was alone and caught with their pants down.   
  
"Approved." Hiruzen decided.

There was a round of agreements.   
  
"What defences does Uzushio have?" he inquired and waited for Arashi to gather his thoughts.  
  
"The island is surrounded by sixteen watch-towers. In each tower we have an anchor for a barrier seal that surrounds the entire island. It can withstand a lot of force from the outside. However, it's a one way seal that will allow people to leave it but not enter it on their own free will. That also means that we can use jutsus through the barrier without damaging it. The ocean itself along with the reefs are booby-trapped and will slow down and destroy ships. Traveling underneath the surface of the water is redundant because of this. However, that won't stop people from simply walking on the surface. It's impossible to prevent such a thing because the surface of the water is always moving and our seals are either ink or blood. Arial fights are also redundant because the island barrier is a dome. Overall it has enough power to last for three days under heavy assault, less with Jinchuuriki's and Kages if they happen to be around- which I assume they will. Safest bet would be to say it will last a full day and possibly a little more if we're lucky."  
  
The various council members wrote down the information, Shikako carrying a thoughtful frown and the Hokage looking the same.   
  
"What forces are we sending to Uzushio?" Danzo asked, almost accusing. Unbeknownst to everyone there, the old war hawk saw the war as a golden opportunity to strengthen Konoha while at the same time destroying both Kiri and Iwa. Uzushio was merely a good enough excuse to go to full out war with the other nations.  
  
"Indeed," the Hokage reached for one of his nearby notebooks and files. He took hold of the one with the numbers of the Konoha rosters. "The genin will remain in Konoha; they can tend to the Uzushio civilians."  
  
"The academy students might as well pitch in." Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest, "When the fighting starts and people start coming back injured we need as many able hands as we can. They can handle the simple bandaging and minor stitching while the proper medics treat the critically wounded shinobi."  
  
"Approved."  
  
Arashi nodded in agreement, "A sound suggestion. Uzushio's genin and academy students will assist as well."  
  
There was some more scribbling on paper before another question popped up, "How many chunin and jounin do we send?"  
  
"Everyone besides the ones who guard the village will go to Uzushio in battalions ranging from three hundred to five hundred." the Nara stated simply, as if thought it was evident, "It will make the teleport manageable along with the treatment of possible injuries they acquire. If we build battalions in long- to close range fighters, we can decrease our own loses as well. We should use everything to our advantage."  
  
Naruto shifted in his seat. He knew how war councils went- he'd been in far too many to care, but right now he was the elephant in the room. At the very least he felt like he was and that had to change. The problem was that if he said anything, then he'd have to stand by his words and carry it out without wavering. If he volunteered, it would become a bloodbath outside of Uzushio.   
  
His gaze fell to his fingers, and he clutched his hands tightly, enough to make his knuckles white. Naruto took a deep breath and looked to Jiraiya; he received a subtle nod of encouragement before he raised his hand.   
  
"If I may," Naruto spoke politely. This wasn't the time to act like an idiot. He instantly received everyone's attention and also that of a surprised Hokage, "Is it safe to say that the council members in this chamber are aware of my  _condition?_ "  
  
Hiruzen narrowed his brows but nodded all the same, "Everyone aside from the Uzumaki behind you."  
  
"All Uzumaki are aware of who carries the Kyuubi, Hokage-sama. It is part of our legacy as its jailers. You need not worry about us; we are not loose-lipped on the matter." Arashi gestured for Naruto to continue.  
  
The Hokage nodded albeit a bit stiffly.  
  
"During the time I've been its jailer I've learned many things. Making a bijudama is one of them." Naruto explained, eyes fixed on the Hokage who's eyes widened, "I would like to volunteer to leave with the first battalion and hit the Kiri fleet from afar. With my bijudama the damage would be substantial and would reduce the damage our own forces take in the long run. Depending on the size of Kiri's fleet I should be able to destroy at least half of them before they reach the shores. But it's likely that I'll need to rest once I've sent out a dozen of them. It's very tiring to use its chakra."  
  
"You mean to say you can control the demons chakra?" Orochimaru asked incredulously, "If I'm not mistaken, you're  _nine._ "  
  
Naruto's cerulean gaze flickered to the side and settled on the snake Sannin but before he could reply Jiraiya spoke, "He's also the second Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, a chunin and jounin in everything but title, a natural in fuinjutsu and not to mention the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. I've seen him fight enough times to know that he can handle himself and if he says he can reduce Kiri's fleet to splinters then I believe him."  
  
"I also want to inform that I've seen Naruto-san perform and practice the bijudama and just as he explained; he is capable of using its chakra to an incredible degree." The Uzukage successor added.  
  
"It's not so much 'incredible' that it is 'expected'." Naruto decided to elaborate before people started to ask awkward questions, "When I was with Jiraiya on Mount Myoboku we noticed that I'm very talented in the use of nature chakra. I became a Sage in little over a month. It just so happens that the Kyuubi's chakra is entirely made up of nature chakra. It's corrosive but thanks to my seal it helps to filter most of it. It's not perfect but nothing I can't handle with some rest. Because of that I can control it a lot easier and will have a much harder time losing control over it. Nature chakra in itself is wild and dangerous but like I said- I'm a natural."  
  
"For reference," Jiraiya spoke mildly, "It took me over three years to learn how to control nature chakra, and I'm still not as good as Naruto is. The only edge I have over his Sage Mode is my experience."  
  
Tsunade positively gaped at the two of them like just about everyone else did in the room. Orochimaru wasn't an exception.  
  
Naruto waved it off. He wasn't there to turn heads and seek attention, "My offer still stands Hokage-sama, council." Eyes steeled and voice unwavering, "As a former citizen of Uzushio and because it will always be my home in some shape or form- I will do everything in my power to protect it from its enemies. I have the power to make a difference. A _large_ difference. Allow me to use it."  


* * *

  
  
  
  
Two days later a group of fifty or so children sat inside of one of the halls of the academy. In front of them stood a man few had seen before and even fewer had spoken to.  
  
In front of them stood the Hokage alongside one of the Sannin- Senju Tsunade.  
  
Minato felt something tighten in his gut. Anticipation, nerves, fear, worry, excitement? He couldn't be certain but what he did know was that he couldn't stop tapping his thumb against his knee and neither could Shikaku who had an oddly grim look on his face. Minato didn't ask. When his friend looked like that it was best to leave him to his thoughts.   
  
"Good morning children." The Hokage smiled gently, "I'm glad so many of you could make it today. Because today we have something very important to talk about. Some of you come from clans and might have heard about it already- others might not have. Regardless of what the case may be, my student and I will do our best to explain the situation and how it affects all of you."  
  
Tsunade crossed her arms, "I'm sure you're all aware that there is a war going on outside of our borders." several of the children nodded, but others paled, suddenly scared of what the two shinobi would ask of them, "It's come to our attention that our ally; Uzushio, will be attacked by the entire Kiri and Iwa fleet."  
  
A collective gasp spread through the hall while Shikaku grit his teeth and a stone settled in Minato's stomach. Suddenly that foreboding feeling he had before didn't seem so far-fetched anymore.   
  
"Now don't get your pants soiled." Tsunade smirked, "We're not here to tell you to gear up and go kill someone. But what we  _will_  ask is that you brats help us out with something else."  
  
If you could taste relief.. well, it most likely tasted like nervous sweat. To claim that the children looked relieved would have been the understatement of the year and Tsunade felt positively gleeful at what her words could do to the tiny wannabe shinobi.   
  
She was enjoying this. Possibly a little too much as well.  
  
"In light of the situation Uzushio's civilians, academy students and genin will take up refuge in Konoha while our forces fight off Kiri and Iwa. But they will need help. Medical attention, first aid, food, blankets, comfort and protections. It's our belief that the genin of both Konoha and Uzushio along with the senior academy students from both countries will be able to help us with this." Hiruzen explained kindly, encouraging and convincing enough that the children puffed their chests up a little, "However, I must warn you that some of the shinobi who fight can come back either dead or heavily injured. You will be in charge of the minor injuries that require nothing but simple first aid and possibly stitching. I want you all to consider this your first mission for Konoha. A very real and meaningful one as well."  
  
"I'll be staying here for the day and give you lot a crash-course in first aid and how to stitch wounds. I don't expect perfection, but if I catch you slacking off, I'll get you thrown out of the academy stat." Tsunade warned with no sympathy at the few who cowered at her tone, "This isn't a game, and you will play a vital role in Uzushio's and Konoha's success. These soldiers need you to do your best while they fight to protect you along with this country. Can I expect your full attention today?"  
  
"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" the hall echoed loudly.  
  
"Good." The Hokage smiled, "You will all make excellent shinobi. I'm very proud of you."  
  
A while later Minato and Shikaku watched as Tsunade and the Hokage left the hall.  
  
The horrible foreboding in Minato's stomach wasn't gone, and Shikaku didn't look all that relieved either. If anything it had just gotten worse for the two of them.  
  
"It's a lot worse than they're telling us, isn't it?" Minato quietly asked, almost too scared of the answer to even want to hear it.  
  
"It's going to be a bloodbath," Shikaku whispered, gaze following their classmates out of the hall where a couple of chunin stood with a piece of paper and wrote down their names.   
  
"Do you think..?"  
  
"Yeah.. _everyone._ "  
  
Minato's gut twisted, and a chill ran over his body.


	8. Shooting Stars

Minato stood next to his friends. Shikaku was squatted down on the ground, head resting in the palm of his hand and eyes drooping. Inoichi was walking around handing out flowers he'd managed to get a hold of from his clans flower-shop. Chouza was sitting next to Shikaku- no snacks in sight. Uchiha Fugaku stood leaned up against a tree with his arms crossed- a fierce scowl on his face that was the result of the girls in their class being a little too close for his comfort.

But Minato's attention wasn't on either one of them. Instead he looked around himself, eyes wandering over the camp that had been set up on top of the mountain and away from the eyes of the civilians. There was hundreds of white tents with a red cross on it- indicating a medical tent. At the far back was the food-quarters that was smaller than they would all like but they would have to make do with it.

Newly minted chunin, genin and academy students from both Konoha and Uzushio had worked tirelessly for an entire day to set the whole place up. How they'd even gotten there was beyond him.

In the very centre of the camp was the largest seal Minato had ever seen before. It was raised from the ground by half a meter and drawn in red. By the scent, it was drawn in blood-ink and meant to be permanent until the owner removed it. He knew that much because of the academy curriculum.

Naturally, Minato didn't understand what the seal was for- a barrier possibly. But he couldn't be certain. All he did now was that it was large and judging by the various kanji in the seal he'd guess that it had something to do with chakra-links or possibly a chakra-channelled connection of sorts. It went a bit over his head, to be honest.

Even if he wasn't one of the shinobi fighting his nerves was getting the better of him. It didn't take a genius to see that it was the same for most people; academy students, genin and chunin alike. He'd even seen jounin look rather pale when they walked around the camp for inspection.

Shikaku said that the Hokage was grossly sugarcoating the cheer magnitude of this fight when he explained what was happening. And being friends with a Nara had it's perks, especially when his father was loss-lipped when he was drunk. Minato knew that Shikaku hated when his father was like that but he wasn't above taking advantage of it if he wanted information about something. For better or worse it always worked. It was Shikaku's morals that kept him from asking about things that was too dangerous for him to know. But it didn't mean he couldn't if he wanted to. And if what Shikaku explained the fighting would consist of.. well, Minato didn't exactly keep his lunch down after that. A bloodbath was an understatement. It was practically suicide to place themselves on an island that would get completely overrun by both Kiri  _and_ Iwa. 

So many people were going to die.

"Here!" A yellow flower suddenly blocked his view and made Minato take a step back and turn his attention towards Inoichi who watched him expectantly.

The long haired boy rolled his eyes, "Take it Minato. Dad said we should all put flowers on the ground for when the shinobi come."

Inoichi smiled, but Minato suddenly felt even sicker. The Yamanaka apparently didn't understand that putting flowers on the ground for soldiers was a way to say farewell like they weren't expected to return alive. He noticed Shikaku look up at him as he stiffly took hold of the yellow freesia flower.

It was a beautiful flower. A long green stem with a large yellow flower on top. On the side of it was another stem that stood horizontally and carried six more flowers but they hadn't bloomed yet.

"I don't get why they'd come here though. Are they crossing the mountain to leave the village?" Inoichi tilted his head to the side curiously.

Shikaku let out a small sigh and nodded towards the large seal in the center of the large camp, "Apparently that's a teleportation seal. I heard some jounin from my clan talking about it. We're sending off battalions of shinobi and then when they've exhausted themselves they come back, we treat them, feed them, let them rest and then we send them back in to the fray. Thousands of injured shinobi from both Uzu and Konoha will use this camp as a recovery point when the fighting starts."

"I've never heard of something like a teleportation seal before." Fugaku moved closer. "I  _would_  have heard of it."

The Nara shrugged, "It's an Uzumaki clan technique. From what I understand it's controlled by the Uzumaki clan as well."

"That makes sense," Minato said quietly, eyes fixed on the flower in his hands. A flower that had the same colour as his hair, "At least it will let them evacuate safely if they can't hold the island."

"They won't lose!" A new voice exclaimed fiercely. The group turned around and came face to face with three red-haired children around their own age. Academy students from Uzushio from the looks of it. The one who spoke was a girl with violet eyes and long red hair, a face fixed with determination and fury, seemingly daring anyone to say otherwise. "Uzushio is super strong!"

"It doesn't matter how strong you are if you're overrun." Fugaku barely had the strength to refrain from grimacing at the poor manners of the brash girl.

Another of them scoffed, a boy with green eyes, "Kiri are cowards and so are Iwa. They only attack us because they're scared of us."

"And it's because they're afraid of you that you're facing an invasion from two of the great nations," Shikaku stated matter of factually. The three red-heads scowled but didn't deny it. It was the truth. Nobody said it outright, but due to the size of Uzu and the strength they possessed, they were deemed too strong in many's eyes. Which is why this whole thing was even happening in the first place.

"What's your name?" Inoichi peered curiously over Minato's shoulder, a boy that didn't want to get into an argument, so he kept quiet.

The girl grinned and pointed her thumb to her chest, "Uzumaki Kushina! I'm going to be the next Uzukage!"

The response was silence, but Fugaku who didn't appear to like her rolled his eyes.

"I'm Uzumaki Yorou, and this is Uzumaki Nanami, she can't speak." the boy gestured to the other long haired girl with blue eyes. She was cute, and with a shy smile, she waved her hand in hello.

"Uchiha Fugaku." The raven-haired boy practically glared at Kushina, "Heir to the Uchiha clan."

Kushina scoffed, "I bet you're all heirs, right? So this is the  _important_  group?"

Shikaku raised a brow, "Minato's the only one who isn't the heir to his clan."

"And who's Minato?" she crossed her arms as Minato raised his hand just enough to get their attention. Kushina didn't look very impressed, "You look like a girl. You're a girl, right?"

Minato blinked, startled, "I'm not a girl.."

"Well, you talk like one. Talk louder 'ttebane!"

Shikaku stood up and frowned, suddenly on the defensive. "I suppose that makes you a boy because you sure don't act like a girl."

"I'm not a boy!" Kushina growled, and Yorou glared at the Nara. Nanami looked more uncomfortable than anything. "Take that back!"

"No."

"Wha-"

"Hey, look! It's Uzumaki-san." Chouza pointed across the make-shift road where a single blond boy walked. The boy in question wore a standard issued black shinobi pants, his short-sleeved shirt with orange flames on the sleeves, a pale purple breastplate with shoulder-plates and arm-guards along with a chokuto on his back. His hitai-ate was tied around his forehead; it's black tails long enough to reach his lower back. Hair pulled back on one side with the standard Uzumaki metal hair clutches and bangs hanging to the side.

"Naruto! Wait up!" The group saw him look back and noted the orange earring hanging from one ear. His lips pulled in to a smirk, "Took you long enough old man."

"Oi! I'm not old. I'll have you know I'm a real killer with the ladies."

"Whatever you say."

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Probably not."

"Case and point."

"That's not an Uzumaki!" Kushina declared firmly. She'd never seen a blond Uzumaki before so he couldn't possibly be one.

"Yes, he is!" Minato glared at her, much to everyone's surprise. "His name is Uzumaki Naruto, and he's a Konoha chunin." feeling a tad bit smug at the way the three other Uzumaki students seemed shocked by the news.

"Chunin?" Yorou scrutinised the blond boy as he crouched down and trailed his fingers over one section of the large seal, "I've never seen him before."

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't." A new, much older voice spoke from behind them all. The group turned around and in an instant three of them bowed deeply much to the surprise of the Konoha students. The man seemed to be in his early twenties.

"Arashi-sama!" they chorused.

The red-haired man smiled. His long hair tied back in a similar fashion to Naruto to signify his clan affiliation, "At lease children." he said kindly. Eyes crinkled at the edges and white teeth visible from between his pale pink lips, "His name is indeed Uzumaki Naruto." Arashi confirmed and noted the frown on Kushina's face, "Naruto-san didn't go to the academy in Uzushio Kushina-chan. He never had to. Maki-san trained him off-duty so you wouldn't have noticed him in school. He's technically only half Uzumaki since his mother was a civilian from the clan and his father a fisherman. They died when he was very young so Jiraiya-sama took him along on many of his travels and it was only recently that the Sannin adopted him the boy moved to Konoha."

"But a _chunin?_ " Yorou turned to looked at the blond boy again. He was talking with one of the Uzumaki jounin who was in charge of the seal, the older of the two seemed to keep rapt attention to the boy as he nodded and seemingly asked questions to which Naruto answered with nods and small gestures.

"That isn't very accurate from my experience." Arashi smiled a tad bit sheepishly at the children, "He's way stronger than a mere chunin." He turned to look at Naruto instead as a small shiver ran down his spine, and thankfully it went completely unnoticed by the kids, "If you want to talk to him then you should do it before he leaves. Naruto's part of the first battalion."

Massive question-marks rose from the hairlines of the children aside from one, Shikaku. His eyes widened, and his skin paled.

Shikaku was well versed in strategy, and he'd snooped around his father's office enough to know that the first battalion was likely to receive the heaviest damage but they were also deemed the strongest. They would use their strength to do as much damage as humanly possible so that the next battalion had a bigger survival chance. If Naruto was part of that battalion...

Shikaku swallowed thickly and turned to look at the boy who was no longer just a mere nine years old in his eyes. Instead, he was a powerful shinobi. 

"Where in the battalion is Uzumaki-san going to be placed? If you don't mind me asking." Shikaku asked quietly, a hint of hesitance noticeable and enough to alarm Minato. The Nara apparently caught on to something that the rest of them hadn't.

Arashi didn't miss a beat, but he was impressed by the boys understanding of the situation, "Besides his father." he noted the boys gaze snap sharply up to him, "And the Sannin will stand with the Kage's at the head of the rest."

"He's going in first?" Minato paled, hands trembling slightly but thankfully going unnoticed. "Why?"

"Because he's strong and he's a front-line fighter." Arashi then smiled, "I suppose you didn't know Naruto-san is a Sage just like Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru-sama. He's the second Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku." Arashi placed a hand on Minato's head, "Don't worry about him. He'll come back."  _one way or another_ was left unsaid. "If you'll excuse me."

With those words, the three Uzumaki bowed once more, and the Konoha students politely lowered their heads as a goodbye. They didn't really know who he was. The man had neglected to introduce himself.

"Who was he?" Inoichi had no qualms about asking the obvious question the rest of the Konoha students felt too polite to ask.

"That's Uzumaki Arashi-sama." Yorou explained, "He's going to become the Uzukage after the war is over."

"He's  _suuuper_  powerful 'ttebane!" Kushina gushed, and eyes were sparkling. Her gaze followed her idol until the man bowed towards the Sannin and Naruto. Her mouth promptly fell open along with the rest of them. It was only emphasised when Naruto bowed back the same way while Jiraiya bowed a tad bit deeper.

Shikaku frowned thoughtfully. There was only one reason for a Kage in everything but official documentation to bow like that to a mere child. Arashi acknowledge Naruto as someone worthy his respect and that left a better part of him gobsmacked. What could Naruto possibly have done to earn Arashi's respect to the point of bowing to the boy as if he was an equal?

Unbeknownst to the children, Arashi was merely greeting a fellow Kage in the way that was appropriate. The fact that he was bowing to a mere child didn't cross the successor's mind until it was too late and he cringed and sent the boy an apologetic smile to which the boy mimicked with his own.

Some thing was simply difficult to stop doing. Even Naruto had problems remembering that he wasn't actually the hero of the elemental nations anymore but rather a random orphan from Uzushio with no real accomplishments aside from his association with the Sannin.

_Whoops._

"How's it looking?" Arashi decided to ask in favour of awkwardly apologising for his slip-up.

Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest, "Everything's ready. Nothing more we can do here."

The red-head nodded grimly. "So it seems."

"We've got this." Naruto assured with enough resolve and conviction that Arashi's worries begun to ease, "Kiri and Iwa will have to walk over my corpse if they want to take Uzu on my watch."

"And I'd like to see them try." Jiraiya smirked, "You didn't tip the scale of the Fourth Shinobi World War and earned the title of Hero of the Elemental Nations by chance." Arashi's eyes widened before he looked down at the boy in shock. The boy mirrored the Sannin, something dangerous flashing through his eyes.

"That was against the Juubi." Arashi unconsciously leaned back a little, the boy's words registered in his head.  **Juubi!?** What in the  _hell_  was happening in the future!? "Fighting shinobi is  _nothing_  compared to fighting something that has the strength to flatten mountains. Imagine what I could do if I were older and with a stronger body." the boy mused quietly, "At least I can still use the Rasenshuriken. It's not ideal, but it should be enough."

"Did you fix the blood-henge?" Jiraiya asked curiously. The boy just nodded and showed off his wrist where a bracelet with metal pearls and seals engraved on them was held in place with a thin leather band. "It's strong enough to last the whole time?"

"It'll be fine. It was relatively easy with my old appearance as a focal point."

"You'll look like you did when you were older?" Arashi inspected the bracelet while Naruto nodded in confirmation.

"Yup. All five decades of it."

"Is this of your creation?"

"It is but it's not that big of a secret. I'll show you how to make it if you want." the boy offered and Arashi smiled, "Then please."

The three of them sat down in a semi circle as Naruto pulled out a scroll and begun to draw on it with his blood-ink. Arashi kept close attention and then raised his brows when he was finished.

"That's surprisingly simple." And it was. You simply drew the seal in blood and added another sealing array to strengthen the technique. It couldn't be done as a normal henge when you channelled chakra into a cocoon around your body to transform. Instead you had to draw the equivalent of the technique in to a seal and add blood to solidify the transformation to remove the slight shimmer that would typically appear when people were under a henge or genjutsu. "May I keep this and continue to further research it?" he inquired, intrigued.

"Of course. Knock yourself out." Naruto smiled, "The henge is practically undetectable, but I think that would be best to keep between us. We'd have a serious security problem if that became common knowledge."

"No kidding." Arashi laughed and closed the scroll and pocketed it. "I have a feeling I'm not scratching the surface of things you can do with seals and techniques."

Jiraiya grinned, "Definitely. Nothing as ground-breaking as the Big Two but you're right- we can do  _a lot_  more than this."

The Big Two was the simple code-name for the time-travel seal and the teleportation seal. Not only was it a mouthful to say the real names but if anyone were listening to it would become awkward to explain what they were smoking, and if that didn't work they might have to kill someone to protect their secret. That'd also be pretty hard to explain. So 'Big Two' it was. Conveniently enough it wasn't a fixed term so it could easily evolve to 'Big Three' or 'Big Forty', but hopefully, that would never happen.

"I don't doubt it."

 

* * *

 

  
It  _was_  a bit strange, Minato could admit that. Sitting and watching someone for hours wasn't exactly normal behaviour but he couldn't stop himself. Naruto looked so different from when he saw him a couple of months ago in the potato field outside of Matsuka's farm.   
  
He looked  _cooler._ Like a real shinobi and if what Arashi said about him was true then Naruto was powerful as well. At the same time, Minato felt like the boy was becoming more and more distant like he couldn't catch up to him or even  _reach_  him. After all, he wasn't even a genin yet.  
  
Arashi said that if they wanted to speak with him then they should do it before the battalion was setting out and thus Minato had played with the idea of introducing himself. He'd debated with himself for so long in fact that he'd missed his chance and the boy had left the camp to go somewhere else in preparation along with the Sannin. He'd practically panicked when Naruto left, suddenly convinced that he should have introduced himself and at a loss of what to do when the chance passed him because of his own cowardice. It didn't help that Shikaku was smirking and snickering the whole time, knowing exactly what the boy had done because he'd seen it enough times to read the blond like an open book.   
  
Minato didn't get irritated often, but  _that_  made him irritated. Which is why he was currently sitting underneath a tree next to Shikaku and sulked.   
  
Now, Minato was almost always a cheerful and happy boy but when he messed up because of his indecisiveness it made him incredibly mopey.   
  
Shikaku on the other hand only found it amusing and it is hard to stop snickering at the poor boy as a result. The way his bottom lip would stick out a little more than usual and the way he pulled up his knees and wrapped his arms around them- well, he looked very much like the ten year old that he was. One of the rare occasions when he actually acted his age. It was refreshing and at the same time proof that he really was ten years old and not twice that age.   
  
It proved to be a nice distraction in the end. So many people were walking on egg-shells as they waited for the battle to officially start with the first battalion. They hadn't arrived yet but judging by the number of people who were gathering along the edges of the make-shift road he doubted it would be much longer now.  
  
It was with grim resignation that Shikaku stood up and held out a hand to his blond friend, "Let's go. They should arrive soon."  
  
Minato's moping instantly morphed into something that could only be identified as concern and perhaps fear. Not for himself but for the horrible amount of death that was waiting for the shinobi of Konoha and Uzushio. Not to mention Uzumaki Naruto. It was evident enough to the Nara that the blond admired and cared about the Uzumaki so it was understandable for him if Minato worried about him and especially since he was being sent in as a front-line fighter in the first battalion. Shikaku didn't have to explain to the blond that the chances of the boys survival was small just like the rest of them. They were practically the first wall to face an incoming tsunami in hopes of slowing it down. Stopping it was simply beyond them.   
  
Minato took hold of the offered hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. The two of them walked in silence, Shikaku, and Minato both holding a flower each. Minato with his yellow freesia and Nara with a red rose. Apparently, it is hard to get a hold of flowers in the village because of this very reason.   
  
Being small had its advantages and moving in and between the shinobi who stood by the side of the road was easy enough. Some of the older shinobi moved aside to allow them to walk forward while others had to be pushed a little to the side. No doubt they believed the children were excited about seeing the shinobi head out for war.   
  
That might have been true for a lot of the children there, but it wasn't for Minato and Shikaku. It wasn't the same because they  _understood_ , they truly did. They also understood that throwing flowers on the ground was morbid and quite horrible- especially for the shinobi who's feet crushed them.  
  
It didn't take long for the two boys to end up at the very front of the crowd, just a couple of meters away front the large seal where eight Uzumaki's stood stationed, ready to start whenever the battalion arrived.   
  
Despite the large crowd just a scarce few voices could be heard. Minato himself listened to his own breathing and heartbeat, finding a sliver of comfort in the repetitive sound. At the distant sound of moving fabric, feet shuffling across the bed of rock and sand on the mountain- Minato looked up to see a large amount of shinobi dressed in both purple and white armor approach the seal in an even pace.   
  
All of them had the same expression on their faces; fear, determination, resolve, acceptance and undeniable strength.   
  
A shiver ran down Minato's and Shikaku's spine at the sight of them approaching, passing and disappearing through the seal like blue flares shooting straight up and into the sky before disappearing completely.   
  
During this whole process of watching groups of twenty move on to the seal and disappear, the road had transformed to a field of trampled flowers.   
  
Shikaku dropped his red rose to the ground when a group of Nara passed him, expressions grim but too much determination in their eyes to feel pity towards them.  
  
Minato had long since forgotten about his flower. With every group that disappeared through the seal, his stomach twisted painfully. It wasn't advisable, but he couldn't stop trying to commit their faces to memory, hoping,  _praying_  to see them all again even if he knew that most probably wouldn't return.  
  
The shuffling of feet became quieter and quieter, and before long there was barely any left.   
  
It was also at that moment when Minato noticed blond hair on a boy that walk straight towards him. Next to him was Jiraiya of the Sannin, then Orochimaru and Tsunade. Behind them was the Hokage and Arashi along with two of their guards.   
  
The closer they got the less Minato found himself able to think clearly. So it was his body- not his mind- that caused him to hold out his hand, the yellow freesia flower outstretched as an offering.  
  
Walking along a road covered in flowers as if they were walking straight to their deaths.. well, it wasn't exactly a happy experience for Naruto. It was the first time he'd seen anything like it, but he understood it because no matter what he thought about it- the facts stood as they did; most wouldn't return from the first battalion. Only the strongest and the luckiest would.   
  
But his thoughts came to a screeching halt when suddenly a hand along with a yellow flower was held out in front of him in the path he was walking on.   
  
It was for him.   
  
Naruto didn't hesitate. He took it in his hand.   
  
Minato's breath caught when Naruto took the flower from his hand, and his eyes widened when the boy looked straight at him from over his shoulder. Naruto grinned brightly and gave him a confident peace-sign like nothing could damper his mood or even stand in his way. Like he wasn't heading straight to death at all.   
  
_He was invincible._  

It wasn't a farewell but a promise. A promise of return.  
  
Both Minato and Shikaku found themselves returning the gesture. But unknown to them- so did everyone who saw the exchange. Their spirits lifted enough to feel a sliver of hope.   
  
Jiraiya stepped on to the seal along with everyone else except for one- Naruto having fallen slightly behind from his previous actions.  
  
"You ready Naruto?" he asked just loud enough to be heard over the already silent crowed.   
  
Naruto walked up a few steps to the seal, took his place next to Jiraiya, smirked and turned around to face the crowd, fist hitting his open palm as his expression spoke of unrivalled fearlessness, "Let's go kick some ass."  
  
The entire group found themselves mimicking the boy's expression just before the seal activated and transformed them to bright blue flares and rose to the sky like shooting stars.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next few chapters will be a bit darker.
> 
> War is pretty dark stuff after all.


	9. With Thunder comes Lightning

Now, Naruto was never a fan of the Hiraishin so he was completely entitled to barfing his guts out when he landed in Uzushio. At least the rest of the group didn't fare much better but it would have totally ruined the moment if he barfed in front of the genin in Konoha.

Naruto mentally snorted, would have been just his luck to do something like that.

It was a mystery how Minato was able to use the damn technique without moving around like a drunk five year old after each jump. The vertigo was  **real**.

Speaking of Minato. Naruto looked down at the yellow flower and felt a small smile stretch over his lips.

How ironic wasn't it that Minato would be the one to  _give_  him a flower? Hopefully, he soothed some of the fear he'd felt in the crowd; they couldn't be off their game when the fighting started- it was too important that everyone carried their weight.

But he couldn't think about that anymore.

After getting his act together and the world stopped spinning, Naruto took a look around himself and noted a red barrier surrounding the seal. An extra layer of protection without a doubt. The seal was their evacuation point and arguably the most important location on the island right now.

Outside of the barrier was countless groups of Shinobi, all of them double checking their gear while at the same time receiving instructions on where to position themselves.

Naruto already knew where he was going and since he was going with the Sannin to the cliffs, he didn't have to bother thinking about it.

But there was something he  _had_  to do now that he had the chance.

"I'm gonna take a leak," Naruto announced to the people around him. Jiraiya nodded and glanced to Arashi who sighed, "I should probably go too." He admitted.

The two of them broke off from the group, walking out of the square and into an alley that would have been considered shady on any other day.

The boy looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was watching them, satisfied he pulled out a scroll and unsealed a long black cloak that came with a matching mask.

While a blood-henge was strong, it couldn't make believable clothes that wouldn't get destroyed or noticed by surrounding Shinobi, hence the cloak and mask.

Naruto pulled out the seal and placed it on his arm. In an instant a copy of himself burst in to existence through a small cloud of chakra smoke. The boy barely spared the copy a moment before taking a hold of the bracelet. He channeled chakra in to it while at the same time focusing on a mental picture of his old self. The short blond hair he used to have, the tired blue eyes, the small crinkle at the corner of his eyes, the busted tooth he'd received from Obito when he'd taken a Truth Seeking orb to the face(not one of his brightest moments) and the rather intimidating height of 6'3 along with his broad shoulders. Although, he'd never grown that tall. His own height was closer to 5'6 due to his malnutrition. Call it wishful thinking.

Meanwhile Arashi stood to the side of the blood-clone and watched in fascination how the boy turned in to a man and a Shinobi worthy the title of Rokudaime Hokage. He didn't look old, his Uzumaki genes making sure he didn't look a day over thirty but it was the strangely familiar sharp edge to his blue eyes that made Arashi unconsciously hold his breathe and almost take a step back. The boy- no,  _man_  held power and  _a lot_  of it.

Those eyes had witnessed so much more than his own and it was with those eyes he had stared down the Juubi. Oh yes, he'd squeezed the story out of the two time-travelers when they had gotten some time alone. To say that he'd been pale at the end of the story was a gross understatement because the Fourth Shinobi World War wasn't a war- it was a  _purge_.

Naruto bent down and took hold of his cloak, quickly swinging it over his shoulders and then pulling the hood over his bright blond hair. A moment later he clicked the mask into place and tugged it several times to make sure it was firmly in place. It was.

All you could see was that he was a man with intimidating blue eyes. The rest was left to the imagination.

"I don't have to remind you how important it is for you not to take a sword to the heart, right?" Naruto's baritone voice carried in the alley.

His clone rolled its eyes, "Obviously. In case you've forgotten, we're the same person."

Arashi looked between the two of them in confusion. Naruto acted like the clone had its own personality.

"That's exactly why I'm saying it." Naruto deadpanned and the clone sweat-dropped.

"Fair enough." His clones weren't the brightest there was. They could dispel at the worst moments ever- for the most stupid of reasons. Like falling down the stairs or accidentally stabbing themselves. Don't even ask how the last happened. It was embarrassing enough to make Naruto deny it had even occurred in the first place.

"We're ready." The man said and motioned for Arashi to head back. He nodded. There was no going back now.

Naruto expected to stumble around like a newborn deer after activating the blood-henge due to the sudden overreach but to his own surprise it felt more like putting on his favorite sweater; natural. The world was suddenly seen from the right angle, the correct height and his body felt like how it was supposed to feel. If anything his smaller size was like being confined in a small box that didn't quite fit his legs in.

The walk back was done in silence. Naruto received some curious looks but not too probing, and for that he was thankful.

The streets of Uzu that used to be so full of life and energy was instead packed with crates of kunai, swords, explosives, emergency first aid kits, tags, and smoke-bombs. Quick refills. Located close enough to the seal to keep them from enemy hands should they breach the city.

Jiraiya's white hair caught the blonds attention, and he found himself sighing with relief. Even if he'd been to war before this specific war was an unknown variable. He couldn't predict the outcome more than that they would win.

_Because they would win no matter what._

Even if it meant creating a rain of bijudama bombs over the Kiri fleet.

Iwa was arguably the more dangerous of the two at close range, but Iwa wasn't in their element anymore but that was different for Kiri. Water was everywhere and if used in a large combo it could be devastating and quite literally create tsunamis. No, Kiri had to go first if they were going to stand a chance against their entire fleet.

But for Naruto it was bitter. Because creating a bijudama was  _easy_. It was  _easy_  to send it out over the ocean to detonate and it was even  _easier_  to  _kill_  with it. Hundreds would die with a single one and he didn't even have to stand close enough to see it happen to know that it did. All they would see would be a bright light in the distance and a tremor in the earth.

It was barbaric.

Using a bijudama against the Juubi, Madara, Obito, and Sasuke.. it was different because to fight monsters you had to become one yourself to survive. But using it against unknowing chunin and perhaps even genin.   
  
Naruto already felt like a murderer, and he hadn't even fired off the first one yet.

Bile rose in his throat as they came to a stop on top of the cliffs overlooking the misty ocean. A Kiri technique, because Uzu didn't have mist in broad daylight. Not ever.

In a way, it was utterly stupid how Kiri used the mist to cover their movements since it was evident enough that they were already there. At least it helped to empathise the situation.

War.

The word was like acid in his mind, burning away the light and any positive emotion he carried.

Arashi bit his thumb, flashed trough a familiar set of seals, slammed his hand to the ground and waited as the chakra cloud dispersed around his summon.

If Naruto wasn't so filled with dread, he might have been surprised, but he wasn't. On the ground stood a small inconspicuous seagull.

"Scout ahead and confirm their positions." Arashi lifted the bird up and off the ground, giving the creature a little momentum as it took off and into the air and mist. It disappeared in mere moments.

Behind them half of the first battalion stood, silent and eerie in the slowly spreading mist. Dread, fear and anxiety rolling off them in waves and practically poisoning the air.

Fifteen minutes of silence and then Arashi's summon returned. The bird whispered into the man's ear, the red-heads face turning grimmer and grimmer until he completely blanched and let out a shuddering breathe that didn't go unnoticed by the Sannin, Naruto or the Hokage and their guards.

"Seven hundred ships." Arashi's eyes spoke of fear and horror, because how in the world was Uzu supposed to survive an assault of  _seven hundred_ ships? "They're almost in range. Ten more minutes."

"And Iwa?" The Hokage asked, lips pressed into a thin line. It was far worse than they'd previously anticipated.

"No confirmation as of yet. But judging by Kiri's fleet, it's safe to assume five hundred ships at least."

Naruto's clone frowned, "But with the seals and booby-traps around the reefs they'll lose at least twenty with each layer and there's six of them. Which means Iwa and Kiri will lose at least a hundred ships each before they even reach the shores. After that they need to breach the barrier and knock down the watch-towers. They  _will_  fall but we'll have enough time to get the fourth and fifth battalion on to Uzu before they do." The boy ignored the surprised faces of everyone but the Uzukage successor and Jiraiya. Naruto automatically reverting to his previous rank of Kage, "Kiri's fleet should be our primary concern. With their control over water they could flood the shores and crush the towers with a well timed tsunami. I assume the barrier around the island isn't built to prevent waves from the ocean?"

Arashi nodded, "That's correct. Iwa isn't the biggest threat here, at least not until they set foot on the island- that will change things. But it's Kiri and even more so when they start using their water Jutsu. We're surrounded by water."

"Which means we'll just have to hit them before they reach the shore." The original Naruto spoke his tone that of fact and morbid amusement. Hiruzen glanced to the boy turned man and nodded once.

"When you're ready Jinchuuriki-san, take up position in the front."

The corner of the masked mans eyes crinkled in a smile, "It's going to get dangerous around here so I'll kindly ask the lot of you to stand back while I work my Jutsu. I don't want to have to worry about your safety when I'm unleashing the Kyuubi's chakra. The chakra burns are no joke."

"Agreed." Was the Toad Sannin's contribution. Although he appeared to be more worried about being too close to the masked man than Kiri's incoming fleet.

Ten minutes later hundreds of Konoha and Uzushio Shinobi stood lined up a good distance away from the Kage's and their group, more arriving by the minute from the third battalion. It was to the surprise of many when the Uzukage-to-be and the Hokage joined them and left a single masked man fifty meters in front of everyone else.

All eyes were on the disguised Naruto.

"You sure he's got this, Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked. If the Toad Sannin didn't imagine it, then she almost seemed a little worried about the boy.

"He doesn't have a choice. He said he could do it so he will." The third of them said while Jiraiya fought the urge to roll his eyes. He knew they didn't know what Naruto was capable of but their skepticism was getting old real fast. It wasn't the first time they'd asked him if Naruto was really up for the task either. He'd been cornered enough times to consider writing small notes he could hand out with an already prepared explanation of  _'Yes, he bloody well can.'_

Instead, he said, "Right now you should be more worried about what will remain of the Kiri fleet once he's done."  
  
That wasn't the reply either one of them expected to hear from their teammate. It didn't help that the Hokage heard as well.   
  
Meanwhile, Naruto stood in front of them all; the army tuned out in favour of going deep inside of his mind. He calmed his heart, slowed his breathing and closed his eyes. With practised ease, he slipped into his mind-scape and found Kurama already waiting.   
  
Long gone was the dreaded sewer and instead a small island surrounded by clear sapphire water and a dark star-filled sky took its place. At the back of the grass covered island was tall willow trees with lush green leaves and water dripping from its tips as if though they were genuinely crying. In the center was a massive tree stub that could only have been the base of a large redwood tree. It acted like a seat for the giant nine-tailed chakra construct who sat on top of it and gathered chakra in to its reserves.  
  
"Here we are," Naruto spoke softly, sombre.   
  
The giant orange fox pried one of its eyes open and revealed eyes the colour of rubies.   
  
**"So we are."**  Kurama agreed. **"Are you ready for this?"**  
  
The man turned boy shook his head, "Not even a year ago we all fought on the same side. Allies against Kaguya." the boys eyes filled with unshed tears despite how hard he tried to suppress them. It never worked with the fox. The creature could feel everything Naruto did so there was no point anyway. Kurama was _family_. You didn't hide things from family. "Now they're all at my mercy." his tears spilled over, "This is  _slaughter_  Kurama.." voice trembling and thick with emotion.   
  
Kurama understood the boy, he truly did. Naruto didn't like to hurt people if he didn't have to. But Kurama knew that this era was different from the one the kit originally came from. His innocence might have been lost in all the wars he'd already been part of but he'd never faced a war with another nations shinobi before. It wasn't comparable. Naruto's wars was easy to fight because there was a clear right side and a wrong side. This war was gray- edges blurred and poorly drawn.   
  
**"Perhaps."**  Kurama's tails swayed like fire behind his large body, **"But then will you step aside and let them destroy Uzushio once more? You have to make a choice kit, and from what I know- you already have."**  
  
Naruto wiped his tears and stared down at his hands as he clutched them tightly, knuckles turning white from the sheer strength he used. "I'll  _never_  allow Uzushio to fall. It's my home." his face twisted into an expression so determined and fierce the fox grinned wickedly, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he recognised his kits eyes, " _ **Our** home_."  
  
**"Then let's do this. With the blood-henge you should be able to maintain my chakra cloak long enough to make fourteen bijudama's. After that you'll be on your own with your Sage Mode. You're body isn't strong enough to use it like you used to. You'll be exhausted and in pain but with some rest after this is all over- you should be fully recovered in a months time with my help."**  
  
It wasn't ideal, but Naruto already knew that his nine-year-old body wasn't nearly strong enough nor built to handle so much chakra. Kurama's chakra was like lead, _heavy._  You needed strong muscles and a lot of stamina even to begin to work with it. It didn't help that Kurama's chakra was entirely made up of nature chakra which in turn meant that it was wild and untamed.   
  
"Right." Naruto took a deep calming breath and nodded once, "The sooner we get started the quicker we can head back to Konoha and be done with this whole mess. Are you with me Kurama?"  
  
**"For better or for worse."**  the fox grinned- all teeth. He didn't really have that much love for humans so he didn't really care. It was just Naruto who he actually  _liked_ and since the boy didn't like the whole war-thing Kurama had the decency to keep his inappropriate comments to himself. After all, Naruto didn't joke around when it came to his own siblings and their sealing and so on and so forth.   
  
The same moment Naruto opened his eyes in the real world- a cloak of golden fire wrapped around him like a second skin. The previously black cloak was now gold and much longer than before, golden fox-ears and his main chakra pathways emphasized by black lines in stark contrast to his gold. Power, strength and the familiar feeling of being utterly indestructible caused his adrenaline to involuntarily surge like the opening of a ferocious flood-gate.   
  
Unlimited amounts of Nature chakra surrounded him, teasing all his senses and trying to gain his attention. All he had to do was listening to the sound of the wind and the waves of the ocean to pin-point where the ships were located. The shinobi on-board of them stood out like beacons in the night. Like flies just waiting to be swatted away.   
  
"Alright." Naruto whispered to himself, "It's you or them." he told himself.  
  
Despite telling himself that it was either Kiri shinobi or Konoha and Uzushi shinobi, regret and sorrow were all he could feel. That wouldn't do. Not for this.  
  
"Kurama, please.." a whispering plead that was instantly answered by the steady building of rage from deep within him. Sorrow, regret, and doubt was replaced and crushed by barely controllable rage. Anger and hatred so strong that Naruto no longer had to delay the inevitable.   
  
From out of his golden cloak grew nine tails which stretched and spread, wrapping around him until suddenly he lifted from the ground and they began to take the shape of the infamous Kyuubi no Kitsune.   
  
It was a known fact that the Kyuubi was large but not  _that_  large. It was very different to see its full size from barely a couple of meters away.   
  
The battalions quickly moved backwards at Jiraiya's urging. They were far too close to the foxes chakra to not be negatively affected by the pressure that was to come. They could already feel it, but it was nothing compared to the raw power that gathered in the air when a bijudama was formed.   
  
Nobody could say much of anything as eyes widened as far as they could go, hearts thundering while fear pooled in their stomachs. While the sight was that of stories- legends at most- it was nothing compared to the KI that made their knees tremble. The chakra was heavy, corrosive and laced with so much malice and anger that the people closest to the chakra construct barely held their stomach fluids down. They could practically taste it in the air.  
  
Hiruzen thought he'd known what the jinchuuriki's of the world could do.   
  
He'd been wrong. Oh, so wrong that it wasn't even funny. The chakra monstrosity in front of him was unlike anything he'd ever seen. The fact that a mere nine-year-old boy could hold such power was making the man nauseous with unease.   
  
Naruto raised both of his hands, the jaw of the giant fox opening wide as dense, bone-crushing chakra gathered in its mouth. The pressure in the air became close to unbearable.  
  
The battalions watched it grow bigger and bigger, so large that it rivalled the Kyuubi's own head.   
  
Then it stopped.   
  
All sound disappeared, and everyone held their breaths. Then, suddenly, it shot forward and the ocean was torn asunder, two great walls of seawater standing on each side of where the bijudama had just passed.   
  
It all happened so fast, so quickly that if they weren't paying attention, then they might have missed it.  
  
The bijudama seemingly touched the ships in the horizon, the dark orb imploding in on itself and then shaking the earth like a violent earth-quake. A dome of bright light stretched an unknown distance in all directions- annihilating everything in its path and ripping the ocean apart, sending a giant ocean wave in their direction.   
  
Just when they thought it was over; the shock-wave hit them, sending the unprepared flying backwards and into the ground.  
  
No matter how many times Jiraiya saw it, Naruto using that form would always cause a chill to run through his body. It wasn't of fear because he knew that Naruto and Kurama would never hurt him least he did something worthy of receiving the death-sentence from the boy. Impossible in other words. But seeing how a single bijudama could disintegrate everything in its path and remove it from existence.   
  
Another chill ran through his body.   
  
The bijuu's should never have been weaponized because Naruto and Kurama was the perfect result of what would happen if they were. However rare it was, the facts stood as they did; Naruto was known as the strongest shinobi in the future world for a very good reason. There was nobody who could face his full strength without simply getting overwhelmed by his raw power. The battle with the Juubi was enough proof anyone needed that fighting with bijuu's was catastrophic.  
  
There was no fighting a minor apocalypse.   
  
Despite the ground trembling under the explosions of his attack- Naruto didn't halt. Instead, he began creating his second and then his third, fourth, fifth and so on and so forth until he reached eleven and had to take a quick break.   
  
The massive construct lost its form until a single golden man could be seen crouched down on the ground, chest heaving and breathe loud enough to be heard all the way to the battalions who stood speechlessly and watched the scene play out in silence.   
  
Horror was one way of describing it, but awe was closer to the truth. Because how could you not marvel at the sheer destruction his attacks had done? You couldn't. No matter how grim the results were, it also raised the shinobi's morale to see something like that on their side of the battlefield.  
  
It was the strength of Konoha.  _Konoha's_  jinchuuriki.  
  
"If I continue firing them in that direction I'll destroy too much of the ocean's ecosystem. It will become irreparable." Naruto said so softly it could barely be heard, but Arashi and Hiruzen did. After all, it was their attention he'd intended to gain. He instantly had it, "I can make three more.. but not in that size. I'll pass out if I do." his gaze landing on the two of them and then back out on the ocean, "I can always send them over the Iwa fleet." he suggested.  
  
There was long moment of silence before Hiruzen relented to his mental arguments, "Go." he ordered. An agreeing nod from Arashi and the clone sent a minor chakra-pulse in to the air, just large enough to be picked up if you could feel nature chakra as good as his original did.   
  
The golden man looked back and over his shoulder and locked his eyes on Hiruzen's hand that flashed through some simple hand-signs; ' _Other side._ '  
  
Naruto was gone in an instant, moving so fast that the only thing people could see was a golden trail of chakra left behind him as he leapt into the air and soared through the sky like a shooting star.   
  
The time-traveller left behind a silent mass of people.   
  
Orochimaru said nothing, eyes just as wide as the rest of them but somehow a terrifying grin had found its way on to his face somewhere between the start and finish of the display. It wasn't insanity or the hunger for every jutsu in the world, nor the desire to make it his own but rather he felt just what almost everyone else felt who'd seen the  _'man'_ destroy a large part of the Kiri fleet on his own; amazement and reverence. Not to mention emboldened.  
  
Tsunade slammed her clutched fist into her open hand, eyes containing a burning fire and muscles tensing in anticipation, "Let them come!" she growled but adrenaline could be felt through her words.   
  
For once the woman's prone behaviour for violence was welcomed with open arms.   
  
The three of them felt the ground tremor once again- Naruto undeniably having reached the other side of the island and now facing down with the Iwa fleet with his last three bijudama's.   
  
Jiraiya grinned wickedly and looked to his sensei and then his teammates, "What do you want to bet they weren't expecting  _that?_ "  
  
Even Hiruzen snorted at that.   



	10. Blood Rain

Naruto leaned up against a nearby wall, out of sight from the surrounding shinobi that prepared themselves for the incoming army from Iwa. His breath was heavy, mind slightly clouded from the blind rage that Kurama fueled him with earlier. He tried not to think about how many thousands he'd just killed and instead made an effort to steady himself.

The blood-henge'd boy slid down and on to the ground, eyes falling shut and mind forcefully quieted.

It wouldn't do to lose his cool now of all times.

Kurama's chakra wasn't an option anymore. If he used more of it, his body could force him into a chakra induced coma from the strain, and then he'd be useless. Thankfully, he had his reserve almost untouched and with that came Rasenshuriken, Rasengan, Sage Mode and shadow-clones.

Thanks to his size as  _Naruto_  and not his adult henge- he could move easier across the battlefield. With that in mind Naruto cut off the chakra from his bracelet, and the henge dropped with a single poof of chakra smoke. There would be no more adult Naruto in this war.

Unlike the side of the island where Kiri was approaching despite more than two-thirds of their fleet having been annihilated, Iwa was fast approaching in front of him. The Konoha and Uzushio Shinobi were scared, understandably because the odds used to be against them. Now? Not so much. Iwa and Kiri would lose, but they didn't know that. They didn't know that Konoha was on the island with more and more battalions moving in.

Konoha was the largest nation that existed in the elemental nations and could gather their troops in thirty-two battalions plus another four battalions with Uzushio Shinobi. That was thirty-six battalions in total and twenty-eight thousand eight hundred shinobi against Kiri who had a little over half of that and then Iwa who had two-thirds of it.

With Iwa and Kiri teamed together it wasn't impossible to destroy Uzu and put a considerable dent in Konoha's strength. Seal-masters were hard to come by, and one of them held the value of four regular shinobi.

Harsh but also true.

Naruto slipped into Sage Mode a moment later and was almost overwhelmed with the many chakra signatures moving in on their location. It was like an ant swarm moving towards them and with only one purpose; conquer and destroy.

The blond grimaced and summoned five clones. Said clones sat down alongside him and focused on gathering their nature reserves. Back in the day, he could only handle two- maybe three Sage clones that he could dispel to throw himself into Sage Mode instantly. Now it was five, and with enough practice, Naruto was confident that number would go to six.

But there wasn't any more time to spare such trivial thoughts.

The boy didn't have to be on the front line to feel when the foreign shinobi sat foot on the island. The island itself hissed and chakra twisted in their presence, protesting and warning its habitants of a threat in their midst.

Any other day Naruto would have marvelled at the semi-sentient island but not this day. With Iwa's arrival chakra signatures from both sides was quickly being snuffed out like dying candles.

Naruto grit his teeth. He knew he couldn't protect everyone, but he could damn well try!

As such he crossed his fingers in an all too familiar hand-sign. Countless clones popped into existence and scattered before he could do as much as give them the order.

Naruto ran towards the ongoing carnage.

In war, you had to turn your back on enemies because there was always too many for you to keep track off. However, if Naruto's clones could step in front of a kunai, shuriken, swords or simply give his allies enough time to find an opening then the effort and chakra it took to make said clones would be more than worth it.   
Sometimes it was the small things that counted. A shout of warning, push, pull, cover or duck.. anything.

Still. All the wars he'd seen and all its death and horrors.. it felt like it got worse every single time. This wasn't any different.

Naruto reached the epicentre of the fighting a short while later. The first thing he did was block a swinging sword towards the back of an unknowing Uzushio shinobi. He spun around and into the Iwa-nins range, took hold of the hilt of the Kusanagi and drew it as the same motion slit the man's throat.

There wasn't a word of thanks. No time for such things. The only thing he cared about was foreign shinobi,  _enemies_. Anyone he could see inside of the area he went after like the devil himself was on his heels. Despite all the lessons Lee had given him in taijutsu to make his form graceful- it mattered little. Grace had no place in war. Nobody cared. Nobody even noticed. People fought like animals. Jutsus flying left and right, shouting, screaming, the scent of blood, gore and faeces coming from every direction and mindless chaos raged around him.

Many believed that fighting in a skirmish by the borders was war. That's  _stupid_. War was when you stood on one side of the battlefield and stared downed the enemy on the other. Staring certain death in the eye right before everyone rushed to meet their makers. It wasn't flashy techniques and elegant and just fights- it was backstabbing, cheating, six against one or six against thirty. It wasn't fair and nobody had the right to say that it should be.

Because war wasn't fair.

_Life_  wasn't fair.  
  
And Naruto knew that better than most.

Naruto managed to tune out all unnecessary thoughts and focus on the task at hand; fighting. Clones popped up left and right, ducking under wide katana swings and flying kunai. Like expected his size played to his favour and he caught more shinobi off-guard than he would have thought was possible.

Minutes turned to hours of the same repetitive actions of ducking, parrying, dodging, cutting, stabbing, running, jumping.

Morbidly enough Naruto found a tactic that worked a little too well against Iwa shinobi.

Since he was so small and could sneak up on people easier than a full-grown adult, he used it to his advantage and let his clones do just that. Naruto would move up behind Iwa shinobi who was locked in combat and stab them in the shin or knee. That would make them stumble or fall to the ground- allowing their opponent to finish them off in one simple swing of their weapons.

Any other time Naruto would  _never_ have used such underhanded tactics, but the reason for doing it was simple; _it worked_.

 

* * *

 

On the other side of the island with the Sannin and the Kage's a very different battle was taking place. Once Kiri finally reached the shores their renowned confident demeanor was all but gone and it was with tear-filled eyes of anger, hatred, fear and sorrow that they charged the visible force of Konoha shinobi. If they looked surprised to see Konoha there then they didn't show it. Instead they roared in rage.

The battle began with the Sannin taking the front without hesitation. The three of them biting their thumbs and flashing through a couple of hand-signs and then slamming their hands onto the ground. Three large chakra clouds created a wall between the two forces, and it didn't even disappear before acid from Katsuya, oil from Gamabunta and a roaring fire from Orochimaru surged forward while Manda coiled backwards to prepare himself to strike at anything coming towards them.

The cliff-side became engulfed in fire, and it acted like a signal to the ones behind them. They charged, running at full speed towards the cut off Kiri shinobi who slowly came to realise that Uzushio knew. ** _Konoha_** _knew._

The rest was a massacre that would last for almost a day and a half before the famous rocky cliffs of Uzushio would fall silent once more.

 

* * *

 

When the first round of shinobi returned through the seal the severity of the situation finally sunk in for the genin and academy students.

Why? Well, aside from the fact that the group of forty-five men and women were covered in blood, the screaming from lost limbs and barely standing.. it was a pretty telling sign of shit having gone real bad fast.

Those who had the stomach for it was quickly ushered into the medical second of the camp while the rest of them was pointed in the direction of the kitchen, civilian sector and sleeping quarters. They didn't have the time to deal with kids freezing up at the sight of intestines and faeces.

Surprisingly enough Shikaku, Minato, Inoichi, Chouza and Fugaku was all moved into the medical section without a second thought of if they could handle it or not. Chouza would much rather have been in the kitchen and Inoichi in the sleeping quarters. Even Fugaku would have preferred the armory to help restock their shinobi's weapons rather than try and patch up men and women who was practically bleeding to death and in some cases doing just that. Their instructors had said that they would only handle minor wounds but there was no such things as  _minor wounds_.

When more and more people returned through the seal, it quickly began to overwhelm the children, hands trembling when they tried to wrap bandages around the various limbs of wounded soldiers. Breathe heavy from trying to manage surging panic attacks and hysterics in the midst of all the chaos.

Battalion after battalion moved on to the seal and disappeared only for wounded and blood-drenched ones to return in equal amounts. The only comfort was that people returned at all, no matter what shape they were in.

It was after almost seven hours of trying to patch up wounded to the best of their ability that Shikaku and Minato practically collapsed at the edge of the camp. A tree with a large crown that gave them plenty of shade served as their new sanctuary. Shikaku pulled up his knees to his chest, head pressed between them and bloodied fingers clutching his loose strands of dark brown hair. He was sweaty, tired, overwhelmed and on the verge of crying but finding himself unable to do just that in favor of savoring the moment of silence and lack of gore.

Minato was fairing little better, and the boy's eyes drooped when he wasn't looking around himself with eyes far too alert for a ten-year-old boy. He was looking for familiar faces, connecting their faces to the battalion numbers who'd gone through the seal. Unsurprisingly not a lot of the first, second and third came back, and those that did wasn't in the condition to tell anyone how the fighting was going.

A part of Minato hoped that when Shikaku first said the battle would be a bloodbath he'd exaggerated but even Minato couldn't find any other word fitting enough for the state most shinobi returned in. It was like they'd bathed in blood. Because of that, it made it difficult to find the source of the bleeding in most cases. Searching for a wound on a half-dead shinobi's body wasn't the most thrilling experienced he'd ever had. It wasn't uncommon to find things he'd rather forget about. 

At least some good came from it all; Minato was now practically indifferent to the amount of blood and the smell of death and war that followed the soldiers around. At least to the extent that travelled back into the camp from Uzushio. Little did he know that it was  **nothing**  compared to the carnage on the island itself. He'd also gotten pretty good at doing first aid. There was nothing like the first-hand experience when learning something like that.

The sound of shuffling footsteps involuntarily drew the two boys attention. A habit they'd both developed so that anyone, shinobi or no, could receive help if they needed it.

They weren't wrong. At least not entirely. It was a medic that looked more like a butcher in the blood covered apron he wore. Itaki Hanzu was the one in charge of the medics in the camp. He looked rigid and walked a little too straight- indicating a severe strain to his back and neck. His short brown hair was a mess with traces of blood in it from his gloved hands and his brown eyes worn and tired.

"I need the two of you again.." He said tiredly, too exhausted himself to feel any pity towards the kids. "The Sannin from the first battalion is back. They need food and first aid. Get the food first. They're in the forest by the E tent. Get moving."

"Yes sir!" the two chorused automatically.

They two of them dragged themselves up, a wince escaping as their muscles spasmed from the strain. But there was a hint of excitement in their movement, a burst of energy that wasn't there before. Minato and Shikaku set off towards the kitchen without saying a single word, too focused on their tasks and unconsciously trying to conserve energy. Moving around shinobi, medics, genin and academy students alike- the two of them entered the kitchen quarters and took hold of two trays, two plates on each of them and begun filling them up with shitake onigiri, miso soup, fried chicken, grilled beef and boiled vegetables. The more protein and calories the better. A large cup of green tea and another with water and the boys set out once more.

Honestly, it was a mystery how they arrived at the E tent without spilling anything over.

Hanzu stood by one of his patients and noticed the two children entering. He pointed towards the opening of the tent-flaps in the back then turned back to his patient who spoke of headaches and poor vision before barfing straight on to his pants.  _Concussion_ , the two of them absently noted before passing the scene and leaving through the back of the tent.

 

* * *

 

Naruto sank into the grass with poorly concealed relief. He didn't care anymore. He laid straight down, arms and legs pointing in different directions with Kusanagi stuck in his right hand partially through dried blood and then pure instinct. But he didn't close his eyes; then he'd see things he didn't want to see, so instead, he stared up at the blue sky through the tree-crowns. It was so different to the sky in Uzu. Even the wind- he took a deep breath- it didn't carry the smell of death.

"How're you holding up Naruto?" Tsunade asked, hands glowing green on Orochimaru's left shoulder. He'd taken a nasty hit by a Water Dragon Jutsu when covering a group of Uzushio chunin who worked to set up barriers to divide the Kiri forces.

The sound that left Naruto was more similar to a rumbling stomach than a reply. The three Sannin chuckled. After all, it wasn't so hard to imagine how tired Naruto was after all he'd managed to do on his own. The boy was completely entitled to his lack of replies.

"Do you need me to heal that thing?" She glanced towards a rather ugly gash on the boy's right forearm. His response was just another incoherent groan, and he closed his eyes but then forced them open again almost immediately.  _Nope_ , sleeping wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Don't worry about it." Jiraiya looked at the boys wound, "Fuzzy takes care of it. It'll be gone in a couple of hours."

Orochimaru appeared intrigued and hummed thoughtfully, eyes fixed on the nasty gash while Naruto was too tired to even care if he sized him up for less than appropriate reasons. The snake wasn't anything like he'd come to be in the far off future so he didn't feel cause for alarm. He'd rather be caught dead than admit it out-loud.. but Orochimaru was actually a pretty nice guy. He was like Sasuke without the stick in the ass and the whole avenging bullshit the Uchiha kept spewing around the place. Orochimaru was what Sasuke could have been if he'd not gone bat-shit insane and turned Konoha in to a crater for the second time.

Tsunade frowned, "It can still become infected if it doesn't get cleaned."

The most impressive snort they'd ever heard tore through the boy who turned and smirked at the twenty-one year old Sannin who's face became confused, "I can't even get a common cold. Nothing short of a missing limb and destroyed chakra coils will hurt me." he then blinked a couple of times with eyes unfocused, he smiled sheepishly, " _Actually_  he can heal damaged chakra coils too. Never mind." the woman's brows touched her hairline, "Save your chakra for your teammates Tsunade-san. No need to waste it on me." Naruto reassured before staring up at the sky again.

The three Sannin was silent for a long moment as they looked at him.

"If I weren't aware of what you can already do, then I'd knock you out and heal your ass anyway." she sighed in resignation, "How are you even able to use that chakra? I could barely _breathe_  around it."

There was another long moment of silence before Orochimaru added, "Indeed. Even if you can control nature chakra naturally, the Kyuubi's chakra is malicious and corrosive. You shouldn't be able to use it that well."

Naruto squinted his eyes and then glared at the sky, seemingly offended all of a sudden. In truth, he was just listening to Kurama moan about how he should just tell the truth and be done with it. The boy let out an exasperated sigh, "I might have.. you know,  _withheld_  some information about that.." he admitted.

"You lied." Orochimaru clarified.

Naruto scoffed, "Hah! I didn't- I.. might have?" he trailed off awkwardly. The blond pushed himself up into a sitting position and fixed the snake Sannin with a thoughtful stare and then moved on to Tsunade who only raised her brows. Jiraiya didn't do much of anything, absently rubbing his stomach. He was pretty hungry.

"It's easy to control the Kyuubi's chakra because he  _let's_  me use it." Naruto explained. Tsunade opened her mouth to throw a whole bombardment of questions at the boy, but he held up a single hand to halt them. Her mouth snapped shut, "The kyuubi's name is  _Kurama_  and he doesn't mind me using his chakra because we're friends. Partners. He doesn't really like humans but I'm different. I don't treat him like a monster, I care about what he thinks, feels and his opinions. He even calls me his kit." The boy grinned with a little too much teeth as the two Sannin stared at him incredulously. Not certain if they should check for head-trauma or admit him to a mental institution or perhaps both. "And he calls Jiraiya the 'Old Pervert'."

The Toad Sannin's head snapped to attention, "Oi! I don't want to hear that from him. He's the age of the bloody mountains. I wouldn't be half as good-looking as I am now if I was that old."

Naruto smirked, eyes shining with wicked mischief, "He says you've already placed the first foot in the grave with that hair-colour of yours." Jiraiya bristled, "And he never liked toads. Apparently, it's already insulting enough that I do and that I don't want the fox summoning contract."

"Well HA!" The man pointed at the blond's stomach in triumph, "Suck on it flee-bag! Jiraiya 1 - Mutt 0!"

A small spike of malicious chakra erupted from the boy and the blond sweat-dropped as Jiraiya glared, the other two practically gaping. "Children, children." Naruto raised both his hands with a small, fond smile, "Don't fight. It's  _silly._ And I'll get caught in the middle." He grimaced, "Literally."

"The Kyuubi isn't dangerous?" Tsunade asked slowly. The boy spoke about it like it  _wasn't_  the worst natural disaster known to man. Because that's exactly what kids were taught- it was pretty confusing. 

"Of course Kurama is dangerous, he can flatten  _mountains._ " He deadpanned, "The difference is that he doesn't care about humans, so he'd never openly sought them out. People have just got it in their heads that he's the devil reincarnate and that he wants to kill everything in his path." Naruto shrugged, "I'd be pretty pissed too if I had someone out to kill- or seal me every single day. Wouldn't you be?" It was a fair question, to be honest, "Besides, the bijuu's are the closest beings to the Sage of the Six Paths, and we sure treat the children of the Sage like shit despite how we claim to worship him."  
  
" _Wait._ " Orochimaru's eyes widened to impossible levels, "How do you  _know_  this?"  
  
Once more the boy shrugged and said- as if thought it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Kurama has lived for thousands of years. Naturally, he'd be pretty knowledgeable. He teaches me things, Justus, control over nature chakra, history and stuff like that. He's not bad with seals too. Being sealed inside of Uzumaki Mito-sama for decades, he's bound to pick up a few things through her memories at some point."  
  
"Grandmother?" Tsunade whispered, disbelieving.   
  
"Of course." Naruto said, "You didn't think your grandfather defeated Kurama  _and_  Madara, did you?" The boy smiled kindly at the woman. He knew it was a hard pill to swallow at first, "Kurama was used against his will and sealed inside of Mito-sama, allowing the Shodaime to fight Madara as equals. Which also explains why Kurama loathes the Uchiha's. And I mean  **hates their guts**. They're probably the only humans he'd actively seek out to destroy if he could. It's never fun being forced to do something you don't want to do."  
  
Orochimaru frowned, "Madara  _controlled_  him?"  
  
A little hesitant he nodded, eyes fixed on the Sannin but also listening to Kurama who mused that it might not be all that bad to tell the snake Sannin the truth. Orochimaru would never be able to control a Mangekyo Sharingan anyway, and besides, this Orochimaru may prove to be a great ally. "Madara's eyes were powerful enough to make Kurama his puppet." the boy frowned, "He doesn't like talking about it."  
  
Nobody said anything at that. What could you say after learning something like that so offhandedly, like a side-topic like the weather.   
  
Jiraiya knew all of this, of course, so to prevent any more probing he stood up and stretched, "We should go and get the reports from the Hokage. Get some rest kid; you're going to need it. We're heading out in five hours."  
  
"Alright."  
  
The three of them stood up, the snake Sannin's thoughtful gaze lingering on the boy, curiosity evident in his eyes and willpower the only thing keeping him from asking the questions that would slip out of his mouth if he opened it.   
  
It was questions best asked on another day. He could wait. For now.  
  
It was as they approached the tent that another pair walked through it, almost colliding with them and dropping their trays of food in the process.   
  
The surprise subsided quickly for one particular person,

"Great!" Jiraiya grinned and took the tray from Minato who appeared to be more than a little startled, "Keep the brat company, he'll never get some sleep otherwise. He get's _looonely_." he teased.  
  
"Shut up!" Naruto sent a rock soaring through the air, hitting the man square in the head. "Don't you have somewhere to be pervert?"  
  
The Sannin raised his chin and sniffed, "As a matter of fact- I do. Unlike  _some_ people I'm  _important._ "

"Whatever makes you sleep at night."  
  
"Little shit," Jiraiya grumbled and ignored the smirk on the boy. He left through the flaps of the tent, Tsunade following close behind and Orochimaru only stopping to take a plate of food and a cup of green tea. Then he was gone as well and the only ones left were Shikaku, Minato, and Naruto.  
  
Naruto stared at the two awkward-looking boys and then to the tray of food. It smelt  **amazing**.  
  
His stomach growled loudly and pointedly ignored their barely concealed smiles.


	11. It's simple math; 3 + 1 = Insanity

Minato's heart pounded. The excitement at the mere prospect of finally getting to talk to Naruto had him practically giddy with anticipation. The circumstances of their first meeting might not be the best one, but it didn't matter to the blond boy. He wanted to get to know him. Why he yearned to do it wasn't beyond even him, but he didn't ponder on it. It wasn't important.   
  
Shikaku was curious about the blond Uzumaki as well but more because of what he knew about the war and from what his friend saw in him that made him talk about the Uzumaki non-stop. It was evident enough to him that Minato admired him, but Shikaku had yet to comprehend why entirely. Perhaps this encounter would shed some light on that.   
  
Meanwhile, Naruto couldn't decide if he should try to get away from the situation immediately or if he should take the tray of food with him before he made his tactical retreat. He wasn't exactly scared of talking to Minato and Shikaku but, you know.. It was  _weird._  Besides, the Nara was a pain in the ass when he looked into things a little too much, and Minato wasn't slow-minded either. That, and Naruto wasn't sure how to handle being around his father from another life. It was  _awkward,_  to say the least.   
  
It didn't help that he'd effectively effed up Minato's future marriage. He felt guilty about it. Now Naruto was a stranded orphan in another time and the cause of an early divorce. Well, he technically broke up the marriage before it even happened. That doesn't count as a divorce, right?   
  
"We brought you some food." Shikaku opened the conversation much to Minato's relief and Naruto's growing apprehension. "Just the basic stuff." he put the tray down in front of Naruto and received a stiff nod in return. Mentally the Nara raised a questioning brow. Naruto didn't seem comfortable around them. Why?  
  
"Thanks," Naruto mumbled, eyes on the food as he reached for the chopsticks and begun to eat.   
  
Minato opened his mouth but then closed it again, hesitant and unsure of what he should say. Now that he had the perfect opportunity to say something to him he couldn't find anything suitable. He couldn't very well talk about the weather. His nerves weren't doing him any favours either. The inside of his stomach and chest bubbled and tickled nervously and forced a stupid smile to appear on the boys face almost permanently despite the lack of reason for it. It probably looked weird (it really did), but he couldn't stop.   
  
Shikaku didn't miss the obvious star struck blond and had to roll his eyes. Minato may be a genius and a prodigy but he was still ten years old and in the presence of a boy he'd placed on a pedestal and turned in to some sort of idol. Not that he could completely understand the fixation because while Naruto was impressive for achieving so much at such a young age, it wasn't unheard of. But Minato was weird like that. When he liked something he liked it to extreme degrees and he wouldn't stop no matter how strange it might appear to others. Probably not the healthiest thing in the world but who was he to question when he snuck away from class to nap and had an obsession with shogi that rivaled every single senior citizen in Konoha combined?  _And he was only ten._  He'd heard enough jokes about that to keep his opinions of odd habits or the likes of others to a minimum, lest he wanted it used against him again. Like the deer jokes. He'd done it  _once_ \- told people his opinion regarding someone's strange habit and felt the backlash with a  _vengeance_. If he heard another deer joke around him he was pretty sure he'd stab someone.  _Deer jokes? I'm not fawn of them._  
  
Still, the Nara heir looked between the two of them. Naruto was eating his food in silence and Minato opening and closing his mouth repeatedly like a fish. It looked kind of funny; he had to suppress a snicker. What he wouldn't give to hold it against the blond for the next few months to come.   
  
His musings were cut short when his friend frowned, steeled himself and took a deep breath. Once more he opened his mouth,  
  
"BLONDIE!!" a distinctively feminine voice roared. Minato frowned in confusion at the sound that appeared to have left him.   
  
Suddenly Minato was shoved to the side and sent flying when something red, loud and obnoxious beelined towards Naruto tackled him. Minato fell on his back, right before the Nara who appeared quite startled at the sudden appearance of the Uzumaki girl. Minato just stared unseeingly, not able to comprehend what had just happened.   
  
Naruto barely had enough time to swallow his food before she collided with him and he tumbled to the side.   
  
"You have to tell me!" Kushina exclaimed, "Nobody tells me anything!"  
  
_I wonder why?_  His mind automatically responded.  
  
His cerulean blue eyes landed on her. She was straddling him and hovering a small centimetre away from his face. Taking in her long red hair, violet eyes and loud voice, Naruto almost swallowed his own tongue. His eyes widened and breath catching.  
  
_Holy Crap. Mega Damn. **Shit!**_  
  
_Why her!?_  
  
_Why'd it have to be her!?_  
  
Of all the possible people to run into him at that moment, Kushina was the one he really  **didn't** want to meet. He glared to the sky through her head. The gods mocked him, he was certain. Because there wasn't any other explanation of why he was suddenly having a bloody family reunion. What was he supposed to say? 'Hi, mom!'?  
_  
Screw that._  
  
And he was still bleeding.  _A lot_ , actually. Not that anyone seemed to care. Everyone was too busy looking at him like he was some damn zoo-attraction. He was supposed to rest too!  **Why him?!**  
  
"TELL ME!" she roared, a bit of spit landing on his face.  
  
He blinked slowly, wiping the spit away, "You have broccoli between your teeth." Naruto said.  
  
Shikaku bit the inside of his cheek, Minato his bottom lip and Kushina's entire face turned red from both embarrassment and anger. Her tongue slid over her front teeth, and just as he'd said, found broccoli there.   
  
The punch to his head was swift and without regret. A loud whack and a wince later the blond glared up at the girl, his damn  _mother_ , and felt an irritation he'd only ever felt when being around Inuzuka members(namely Kiba). He didn't notice the other two boys gaping at the scene.  
  
His mother was  **a menace!**  
  
And she hit like  _Sakura_. What was with women and beating their counterparts? Wasn't there a law about abusing people?  
  
"Tell me, bastard!" She took hold of his collar, shaking him and the boy couldn't help but marvel at how rude and violent his mother was. Was he like that when he was younger as well? What a little  _shit_  he'd been.   
  
"No." Naruto decided at that moment, He wasn't going to deal with this crap, "Why should I? All you've done since you got here is knock me over, yell at me, hit me and call me names." he smiled all too sweetly at her, "I don't like you." And he really didn't.  
  
Kushina's mouth fell open, "What?" Because that wasn't the response, she'd been expecting from the blond at all.   
  
"I. Don't. Like. You." he repeated. "And I'd appreciate it if you could let go of me and kindly removed yourself from my person." Politeness always freaked kids out, he mentally cackled. He'd learned that when he was Hokage after talking to the arrogant genin who thought they were  _all that_  after getting their hitai-ate. Worked like a charm every time.   
  
Kushina slowly got up and backed away.  
  
_Naruto 1- Kushina 0._  
  
Strangely enough, the girl seemed more confused about what had just happened than regretful of her behaviour. The wheels in her head were visibly turning, and a small sigh escaped him.  
  
Well, you couldn't have everything in life he guessed.   
  
"And I should inform you that you don't know anything about the state of Uzushio because it's above your rank," the chunin said and scrutinised her entirety, "And it would seem you're still a civilian as well. I'm not telling you anything."  
  
Kushina growled, clutched her hands into fists and glared, "Listen here-"  
  
The flaps of the tent opened, and Orochimaru walked through them, face grim and eyes moving between the four kids until they landed on Naruto, "The  _third_ showed up." Naruto immediately stood up, nodded with lips pressed into a thin line. He moved to follow but was stopped by a firm hand on his elbow. Irritation snapped like a rubber-band, and he pulled his arm away from the girl's grip and glared at her. He didn't have the time nor the energy to deal with his  _damn parents_  right now.  
  
Orochimaru raised a single elegant brow, "Did I interrupt something?"  
  
"No."   
  
The Sannin merely held the flaps back and walked into the tent again, Naruto closely following.   
  
Kushina was seething by the time the boy was gone and quickly stomped her way into the medical tent and left. Whether or not she was going to follow remained unknown. The likelihood was high.  
  
"I didn't get to say anything," Minato spoke so softly it could have been a whisper. Shikaku felt sorry for him but said nothing. "I couldn't say anything."  
  
Meanwhile, something lodged itself in Minato's throat. How could he have missed his chance to talk to him? If he'd just said something, then he could of-.. could of what, exactly? Minato pressed his fingers into the grass but then quickly withdrew them when he felt something wet coat them.   
  
Blood dripped from his fingers, and Minato pulled backwards in bewilderment, "Wha-" Nausea pooled in his gut as his blue gaze slowly moved to the ground and then towards the tree where Naruto had been sitting just moments before. There was blood on the ground. A lot of blood but partially hidden by the grass and then realisation washed over him like cold water.   
  
"He must have been injured." Shikaku crouched down and touched the grass by the tree. It was still warm. "And I think we made it worse. There's more blood over here than over there."   
  
"Why didn't he say anything?" the blond stared at his red fingers. Fingers covered in the blood of a boy younger than him.  _Naruto's_ blood.  
  
"Jiraiya-sama did say he was going to rest. Kushina-san's appearance didn't exactly help. Whatever wound he has must have opened when she jumped him." Still, the Nara thought, the amount of blood on the ground wasn't from a small wound. But the worst part was that neither of them noticed it. That wasn't acceptable. They should have smelled it at the very least. His gaze moved around the site and landed on the half-eaten food. The food covered the scent.  
  
"And now he's gone again.," Minato spoke quietly, something unreadable in this voice.   
  
Dejection.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
Naruto mentally cringed at the way that encounter had gone. He didn't exactly plan to act like a bastard but Kushina pushed his buttons. How was it even possible to dislike your own mother? Well, not exactly  _'mother'_  but a mother from another time. Or life.  **Whatever.**  The point was that he didn't like her. Maybe it was his own mental age that was the deciding factor in the whole thing. And he couldn't see Minato and Kushina getting married, ever. They were way too different. At least he thought they were.   
  
From what he'd seen of Minato, the boy was shy and quiet, kind and considerate while Kushina was the complete opposite; loud, out-going, rude and obnoxious. Naruto was also confident that the way Kushina acted was the same way he'd acted when he was younger. Or young the first time around. That pissed him off actually.  
  
If he'd been his jounin sensei, he would have flogged him silly. He was also pretty confident he wouldn't regret doing it either. Because damn, was that attitude  _annoying_.  
  
It was excusable to some extent; Naruto's lack of attention and acknowledgement in his childhood being some of them but otherwise.. no. Kushina didn't have that excuse. She was just bloody annoying.  
  
The gods must be laughing their asses off by now, he thought. His life was a shit-show without equal, and ever since he went back in time, it only seemed to become all the more apparent.  
  
"I trust that you didn't speak about the war with the kids?" Orochimaru held back another tent-flap before they reached the temporary road.   
  
"Of course not." Naruto snorted, "They're nothing more than civilians clearance-wise. And I don't fancy talking about it anyway." He grimaced, "So what's this about the three-tails? Are they sure it's there?"  
  
"Positive." The Sannin confirmed, "The description fits, and he's using corrosive red chakra. Not unlike your own. Since the Kage's are busy fighting the Mizukage and the Tsuchikage, it's up to the four of us to handle the Jinchuuriki. Nobody else has the firepower to take him out. Will you be able to take care of it?"  
  
Naruto scoffed, "Please. I can handle it. But," he sighed irritably, "If I use more of Kurama's chakra I'll be out of commission for the rest of the month."  
  
"Oh?" Orochimaru looked down at the boy curiously. The boy was intriguing. The urge to learn more about him probed his mind because he always did something new and exciting. The snake wanted to study him- ** _purely from a safe distance!_**  
  
A little hesitant he explained, "His chakra is really heavy. I can control it just fine, but my body can't handle the pressure for prolonged periods of time without a break. If I push it, I'll slip into a chakra induced coma, and from experience, it usually takes a month or so to leave it. So if I'm going to help you out with the Sanbi one of you will have to watch my back, or I might fall and break my neck or something embarrassing like that." he grumbled and crossed his arms.  
  
It wouldn't exactly surprise him if he did. Wouldn't that be a befitting end to the Rokudaime Hokage, saviour of the world; dying from falling over and breaking his neck?  
  
A chuckle made him look up at the snake Sannin. It was a sound he could scarcely believe was real whenever he heard it. Orochimaru _was laughing_. Any other time he'd be freaking the hell out just imagining it. But this Orochimaru.. he was  _different_.  
  
"We wouldn't want that."   
  
"Ero-sennin would throw a fit."  
  
"Sounds like something he would do," Orochimaru admitted and glimpsed down at the boy. "But you needn't worry. We'll make sure to catch you when you pass out."   
  
Naruto pouted. Hearing the snake Sannin say he'd cover his back, not if- but when, he passed out made him want to retort that he wouldn't,  _in fact_ , pass out and that he could smack the man silly if he wanted to. Naturally, he couldn't say any of that unless he wanted to end up in a ditch somewhere and stay there for the duration of his incoming coma.   
  
Man, his life  _sucked_.   
  
Kurama yipped in his mindscape, loud enough for Naruto hear and when the fox was sure that he did- only did so even louder.   
  
"I'd say 'thank you', but I'm going to pretend I'm not heading straight for a hospital bed and at least a weeks worth of hospital food. I want to keep some of my pride until Ero-sennin rubs it in my face that I passed out like a girl. He's never going to let this go." Naruto held his head up high when the two of them stepped on to the seal, Orochimaru far too amused to hide it from his faces and Naruto already planning on how to escape the hospital and convince Jiraiya he'd never been there in the first place. Perhaps he could bribe Gamakichi into getting him totally shitfaced so he'd forget all about it? That could work. It's not like it would be the first time either.   
  
  
=0=0=  
  
  
Naruto and Orochimaru arrived in Uzushio at the sound of raging battle. Shouting, screaming, clashing metal, explosions, trembling earth, hissing fire, surging water, howling wind and screeching lightning came from everywhere around them.  
  
It was so easy to suppress the memory of the war that when he came back to it, he was almost overwhelmed by the smell of death. But that discomfort settled and was locked away in an instant.   
  
"Jiraiya and Tsunade is holding him off."   
  
Naruto nodded and turned to the southern part of the island, "This way." he said and started running without looking back and seeing if the Sannin was following. He was, and only spared a moment to feel surprised at Naruto knowing where to go without him having to say a word.   
  
It's not like Orochimaru could know that Naruto was, in fact, a sensor-type shinobi and that Jinchuuriki could always tell when another Jinchuuriki was close by- even more so when they were using their chakra. It was like a beacon in the middle of the night. It is hard to focus on anything else when the chakra in the air prickled at his skin and buzzed in his ears like an annoying bug.   
  
The two of them leapt over building and battles, occasionally throwing a lone kunai or shuriken at unsuspecting enemies who were locked in fights with Konoha or Uzushio shinobi.   
  
Before long they left the city and reached the beach. It was practically empty of living beings, but that couldn't be said for the dead. Naruto almost hurled at the sight of washed up and mutilated corpses. It was like a wall of limbs and torn flesh separating the island from the ocean.  
  
It didn't take a genius to understand that it was the result of Naruto's bijudama's towards the Kiri and Iwa fleet. His work.  _His_  doing.   
  
But Naruto didn't have time to acknowledge the horrible amount of guilt and regret that gnawed inside of him. The earth trembled, and a wave of water rushed towards them. In the distance, a giant slug and a very familiar toad were fighting to keep a raging Biju under control.   
  
He hissed through his teeth, "Did he release it?"  
  
Orochimaru didn't reply and instead bit his thumb, flashed through hand-signs and slammed his palm to the bloody beach, "Summoning Jutsu!"  
  
Naruto had to dive out of the way lest he'd be crushed by the ginormous snake that appeared through the chakra cloud.  
  
Manda hissed, angry at being summoned once again. The snake wasn't really the most cooperative reptile in the world. Nor the most sociable.  
  
**"What isss the meaning of thisss?"**  
  
Orochimaru didn't bat an eye, "The three-tails is loose. Contain its movements."  
  
**"You will pay for thisss!"**  but despite the threat he shot forward, its long body slithering into the water and towards the turtle-like creature, wrapping around it into a crushing hold and allowing Tsunade to land a chakra-enforced strike on its hard shell, making it crack just a little. But it wasn't enough, and she was swapped away like a fly by one of the three tails.   
  
**"It's best if you save my chakra to the last moment. You'll just get in the way if you pass out early."**  a voice sounded from the inside of his head.  
  
The truth stung, but Naruto nodded, "Agreed. Have it ready for me?"  
  
**"Naturally."**  Kurama drawled.  
  
He wouldn't be of much use standing on the beach or derping around on the surface of the water, so he bit his thumb, moved his fingers and hands through a couple of seals and then pressed his palm to the sand, "Summoning Jutsu!"  
  
Familiar vertigo washed over him and then disappeared, the boy now considerably higher off of the ground.   
  
**"Finally!"**  Gamakichi exclaimed and drew his sword. Naruto sweat-dropped. The toad didn't wait for a response or even an order for that matter, he eagerly leapt into the air, soaring high above the turtle and the three Sannin.  **"INCOMING!"**  He roared, albeit a bit too happily. There was barely enough time for the others to get out of the way before he crashed down and his sword pierced through the hard shell all the way to the hilt. Isobu roared and thrashed, but he couldn't get away.

**"Damn toads."**  Kurama grumbled,  **"No finesse."  
  
"Watch it!"**Gamabunta shouted, putting the words to everyone's thoughts.   
  
Naruto raised his hands defensively, "Don't look at me. It was his fault." he pointed down at the large dark-red toad. Said toad huffed, **"You're my summoner. I'm your responsibility."**  
  
" _Bastard._ "  
  
"A little warning next time," Jiraiya suggested, but he knew all too well that Gamakichi had a will of his own. If he wanted to do something he bloody well did it and he didn't ask permission. He was the sort of toad that did something and asked permission afterwards- or in most cases blamed the outcome on Naruto.   
  
"What do you think you're doing? You could have gotten us killed!" Tsunade shouted, breath on the heavier side.  
  
**"You're still aliv** e aren't you?" the two chorused flatly, a human- and toad hand snapping to the side in a single dismissive gesture. Tsunade fumed, but to the surprise of many, it was Orochimaru who soothed her ire,  
  
"They pierced the shell which is more than either of you've done so far. And you are alive, as they said." Manda then shot forward once more, leaving behind two startled teammates and a chunin who felt strangely smug after being defended by the snake summoner.   
  
Who would have thought?  
  
**"Let's show these amateurs how it's done!"**  Gamakichi boomed and raced after the giant snake with his sword waving around in the air. Naruto sighed, far too used to the toad's antics to even care anymore. The more damage Gamakichi did, the less likely it was for him to pass out like an idiot so why even bother stopping the stab-happy toad?  
  
**"Sssimpletonsss."**  
  
**"I heard that!"**  Gamabunta became offended and took off after his son to follow his example, "Oi! What are you doing?" Jiraiya shrieked and fell backwards and on to his butt.   
  
Tsunade sighed, Orochimaru ignored them, and Naruto was entirely resigned to his fate.   
  
Katsuya remained silent, confident that if she didn't draw anyone's attention, then nobody would involve her in the lunacy the other summoners seemed to take wherever they went.  
  
"At least we're not _slugs_." Gamakichi snickered and then barely managed to dodge a waterfalls worth of acid flying into their general direction. Katsuya ignored her summoners shocked exclamations and jumped up into the air, coiled in on herself and formed a ball. She hit the surface of the water with a loud splash, a wall of water rising from around her and heading straight for the others. Gamakichi let out a startled cry, and then everyone else shouted curses. They were all sent flying, the toads on to the beach and the snake out into the ocean.   
  
Gamakicki rolled back on to his stomach and croaked from the pain.  
  
_Note to self; don't insult slugs or they'll kick your ass,_  he whimpered.  
  
Katsuya humphed and turned away. Tsunade wasn't entirely sure of what the hell just happened and decided, that perhaps, it was better not to ask.   
  
The rest of the fight, in a lack of better words, was a complete  **clusterfuck**.   
  
It didn't end until half the beach was a wrecked and there was turtle sushi floating in the ocean. Manda was seething and hissing at anything that moved while Orochimaru looked like he'd rolled around in the wet sand and eaten half of it. Katsuya having scolded everyone at least three times and Tsunade having gone completely catatonic. Gamabunta was pulling out a keg of Mount Myoboku's finest sake while Jiraiya floated somewhere in the ocean. Gamakichi laughing hysterically and waving his sword around(he took some of Gamabunta's sake when he wasn't looking) and then Naruto who laid face-down at the feet of the Snake Sannin who'd caught the boy just milliseconds before hitting the ground after using the Kyuubi's chakra to finish off the massive chakra construct.   
  
As all of this happened, Kurama was sitting on his giant redwood stump in Naruto's mindscape and wondering what the hell was going on. But mostly he was just enjoying the show, laughing at the lot of them and savouring the moment, committing everything to memory because he was going to use this against the lot of them for  _years_. After Naruto woke up, that is.   
  
The giant fox wasn't all that concerned about Isobu. They couldn't be killed and would just reform somewhere else on the continent in a couple of years.   
  
Besides, it was pretty funny watching his brother fight a group of raging lunatics and _lose_.   
  
That was blackmail material for a lifetime.  
  



	12. Author in the making

Hiruzen leaned on to the strategy table, wary in his bones and shoulders slumping a little more than usual. He was tired, having left a fight with the Tsuchikage not too long ago. His eyes roamed the table, a large map of the island laid out across its surface.

The battle by the cliffs was done. Kiri's forces were destroyed, and the ones that remained had retreated off the island after unleashing the Sanbi. Thankfully, he didn't have to deal with the monster personally since his students and Naruto took care of it. Speaking of the boy- Naruto was unconscious after the fight, having used too much of the Kyuubi's chakra if Orochimaru's words were to be believed. Judging by the state, the four of them returned in it could safely be assumed that the fight had been something for the books. That was incredible how much dignity the snake Sannin could walk around with when he looked like he'd been rolling around on the beach and swallowed half the ocean. Tsunade wasn't talking at all and Jiraiya was knocked out for whatever reason, Orochimaru didn't elaborate more than saying the Sanbi was defeated and its Jinchuuriki dead. 

With those two sides of the island taken care of, there were only the Iwa forces left. But even they seemed to be rapidly dropping in numbers. In a combination of Naruto's bijudama bombs dropped on their fleet, a never ending flow stream of strong and healed shinobi from both Uzushio and Konoha, the morale of the Iwa soldiers were falling rapidly, and it was apparent enough by their performance.

It would only be a fool's errand to continue the assault at this point. Onoki was stubborn, but he wasn't a fool. After taking a hard blow to his lower back from Enma, the short man had been forced to fall back- leaving Hiruzen, the temporary victor until they could resume their fight. However, at this point, it didn't seem like they would have a rematch. Not that Hiruzen was mourning the loss, on the contrary, he was happy he didn't have to fight Onoki anymore. The man was a headache and a half on a good day and a complete pain in the ass on a bad one. If he could avoid meeting him again, then he would.

His forces didn't sustain the damage he'd predict, only three-fourths of the original estimation of eight battalions. In his books that were as close to a win as he could get and he gladly took it. But it was still six battalions, four thousand eight hundred dead shinobis from Konoha and Uzushio together. In the grand scheme of things, it might not be that significant of a number, but it was enough people to weigh heavily on his heart. Almost five thousand people perished in the matter of a day, and that wasn't even counting the Kiri and Iwa fleet.

Hiruzen took in the state of the battlefield laid out in front of him, "We're doing well. Extraordinarily well."

Arashi finished bandaging his torso, the fight with the old Mizukage having gone similarly to the Hokage's fight. The Uzukage was currently in Konoha overseeing his people since he was far too old to fight anymore, which left Arashi in charge. It was only right when he was going to take over the position in just a few months.

"We are." he agreed and moved up next to the God of Shinobi, his eyes moved to the south side of the island and then to the north, "This wouldn't have been possible without Naruto-san. He almost single-handedly took out Kiri's entire fleet."

"I'm aware." the man frowned. To be honest, when he thought about the young boy he didn't know if he was supposed to feel overjoyed or worried. Power such as that could do great things.. but also  _terrible_  things.

Arashi recognised the look in his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder, Hiruzen looked up at the red-head. "If there is one thing I know about Naruto-san then it's that he's got his head screwed on the right way. That boy is loyal, kind, just and destined for greatness. Naruto-san is a Konoha shinobi with his roots in Uzushio, the two strongest allies in the elemental nations." Arashi then smirked, "If anything I think you've gotten your hands on a possible Hokage candidate." the corner of the Hokage's lips twitched in a tiny smile, the thought having crossed his mind as well, "Naruto-san doesn't follow people blindly because his respect needs to be earned. I admire that, and I've made it a point to treat him as an equal even if our ranks differ."

The Hokage was surprised. It explained why both the Uzukage and Arashi spoke so highly of Naruto and also greeted him differently from most people. There was mutual respect between them. "You're confident that he won't develop a poor attitude from such treatment?"

The red-head only chuckled, "Hardly. I'm not worried about him going bad in any shape or form. You forget," he locked his eyes with the older man, fearless and confident, "Naruto is an  _Uzumaki._  We are a loyal people, strong and courageous. You've received a gift Hokage-sama. If you give him a tree, he'll give you a forest in return." he turned around and took hold of a wooden figurine of a ship representing Kiri. The small ship was almost white, and from the setting sun, it was painted orange and pink. Arashi held it away from him, dropping it in a waste bin and then turned towards the man again, "He's going to change the world. It's up to you to either join him or watch from the sidelines." a smile spread across his lips, "I've already made my choice. It's time you made yours."

With those words, Arashi left the tent and Hiruzen behind. Said man stared a long while at the empty space before taking a seat and letting out a sigh. His thoughts are turning to the boy who'd taken his village by storm.

"Change the world, huh?" he mused out loud. "That doesn't sound so bad."

Little did he know that the boy was already changing the world for the better.

  


* * *

  


Orochimaru was a man with a lot of dignity. People referred to him as 'sama' and held him in high regard, equal to that of many kage. Even if Tsunade was the official princess of the village, Orochimaru was the one who carried himself like a royal. He wasn't, of course, but he could admit that he liked the respect people gave him. After everything he'd done for Konoha, it wasn't more than right. Or so he thought.

One could say that he was one of the saner of the Sannin. No matter what people thought of Jiraiya the man was a pervert, a peep and a bit of an idiot. Tsunade was prone to violence and gambled more than she didn't, badly at that. It wasn't exactly appropriate behaviour for people of their status. It wasn't something that would make them good- and eligible choices to succeed their sensei when he decided to step down. That much was a simple fact.

And then there was himself; A bit of a loner(not a big secret), loved to learn new things and had a brilliant mind- if he dared say so himself. He was also the least popular of the three. People found him..  _unapproachable_.

Actually, he scared the  **shit**  out of people.

Depending on his mood of the day he would either love their reaction or hate it. Some days he wanted people to like him, and other days he wanted them to fear him. Secretly he dreamed about being viewed in both ways at the same time, but as the Hokage of Konoha. The idea of other nations trembling at his mere name and whispering in awe as he passed them...

_Well, you could always dream, right?_

Orochimaru was confident that his sensei would choose him as his successor.

That is until Naruto arrived in Konoha.

The snake Sannin stood at the foot of the boy's bed and watched him in silence. Ever since he appeared he'd found himself questioning a lot of what he thought he knew. Naruto didn't fear him, and he didn't love him, but he respected him. When they spoke to each other, there wasn't a wall of formality or wariness. Instead, they talked like most people talked to one's friends. That confused the Sannin because he didn't know Naruto that well, except he felt like he knew him a lot better than any other person in the world.

If he wasn't so intrigued he would have worried about the new development, but instead he wanted to see what the boy would do next. What would he become when he reached his teens, his twenties and what would happen when the rest of the world learned of his name?

Logically, the man wondered, would he be able to convince the man Naruto would undoubtedly become, to follow him if he became the Hokage? The answer was there before he'd even asked himself the question; No.

Orochimaru was a man of logic and science. Books and numbers were his forte, and from the amount of data he'd collected so far of the Uzumaki boy, he was confident that Naruto wasn't a follower, but a leader. Naruto was born to lead because he inspired people to follow him. He was strong,  _stronger_  than a person should be allowed to be and he was kind, fair, intelligent, and just the right amount of ruthless when times called for it.

As such Orochimaru concluded, after many hours of analysing it, that he wasn't the prime candidate for the Hokage seat anymore. And he wasn't even that sad about it. Not if it meant giving it up to a boy that at the age of nine was strong enough to bring a whole nation to its knees. There was no point trying to tell himself otherwise.

He recalled the feeling he'd received when he watched Naruto throw bijudama bombs across the ocean. That feeling, that  _awe-inspiring_  and  _adrenaline inducing_  moment was  _everything_. If Naruto stood alone against an army of unknown numbers, then Orochimaru knew that he would walk up and stand right next to him. Because Naruto made you feel  _invincible_.

Perhaps Naruto was the leader he'd unknowingly searched for all this time. But Naruto was still young and as such Orochimaru was presented with an opportunity that couldn't be passed up.

The Sannin had a front row seat to observe the boys growth. His developments and his life's journey. Strangely enough, that  _excited_  him. Anticipation and curiosity were almost intoxicating.

Perhaps Jiraiya had the right idea about picking up a pen and paper? Because who if not he would be better suited to write down the story of Uzumaki Naruto and how he came to change the world?

Because he knew- He was aware that the boy was a mere gentle breeze right now, and nothing compared to the raging storm that he was going to become.

"Excuse me," Orochimaru looked towards the door of the hospital. Naruto was moved there once it became clear that he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. By the door stood another blond boy, uncannily similar to Naruto if it wasn't for a few differences such as the darker shade of Naruto's hair, eyes, and skin. The new boy was pale in comparison.

"What?" voice flat and lacking interest.

Minato fidgeted, "I- I just wanted to see if he was alright Orochimaru-sama."

The Sannin scrutinised the boy, searching for any harmful intent. He found none and took hold of the small clipboard resting on the table at the foot of his bed. With silent steps, he moved towards the boy, pressed the clipboard to his chest and left the room but not before saying; "Watch over him until I return, boy."

Because Orochimaru was off to the arts and crafts store to buy a notebook and a couple of pens.

He had a story to write.

Meanwhile, Minato was speechless because he had only wanted to make sure that Naruto was alright. It was just pure chance that he happened to hear a couple of shinobi in the med-bay talking about how the Sannin returned and that the 'Uzumaki kid' was unconscious. So naturally, he'd rushed off after finishing his rounds and gone looking for him. He couldn't explain why it was so important to him that Naruto was safe and alive, it just was.

He bit his bottom lip, hands clutching tightly around the clipboard and feet slowly carrying him towards the boy's bed. The first thing he noticed was the laceration over one of his cheeks and another over his left shoulder. His clothes and armour were torn and a bit of a mess, nothing serious but enough of an indicator that he'd been fighting. The boy was dirty,  _very_  dirty from sand, water, grime, blood, and sweat.

Minato didn't have the best nose in the world, nothing like an Inuzuka but even he could tell the boy needed a bath. Unfortunately, the medics didn't have time for that kind of stuff at the moment. Unless the soldiers were dying, nothing was done for them. It was up to the chunin, genin and Academy students to stitch the wounds and treat the smaller injuries. Although  _'smaller'_  injuries weren't exactly what Minato would call them. It was pretty bad most of the time.

_What could he have fought to end up_ _like that?_ He looked down at the clipboard, noting the date, his name, his blood-type of B and his height, weight, and BMI. Then he saw the reason for the boy's current state and felt his gut twist with worry and concern.

_'-comatose due to severe chakra exhaustion, multiple lacerations, a broken finger, multiple-'_

Horrified the boy looked down at Naruto, he looked like he was entirely peaceful, sleeping soundly and without a care in the world. At least it would have been like that if he didn't look like he'd just left a war-zone (which he had).

Leaving the clipboard on the table by the foot of his bed, he moved a little closer and took his time to look at the boy. He'd never been this close to him before. It was strange how magnetic he was, drawing him in and catching him like a fish on a hook. Without thinking his fingers gently lifted a lock of his blond hair. It was soft, spiky and thick, not unlike his hair.

If it was strange to touch him when he was unconscious, Minato didn't acknowledge it.

The way he wore his hair made Minato want to mimic it. He'd seen a lot of Uzushio shinobi wear their hair like that; one side of their bangs pulled back with metal clutches and the rest of it either loose or in a ponytail. Almost all of them had long hair as well. Maybe Naruto was growing his out? He'd look good in that, Minato decided. His eyes landed on the boy's earring, the orange Uzumaki crest that, despite the state of him, shone brilliantly in the light of the hospital room. The amber stone was cold against his hand.

Maybe he should get an earring too? It looked kind of cool. A chuckle bubbled up from his stomach- _yeah, right._  Naruto may be able to pull it off, but there was no chance that he would be able to. Naruto looked like a boy and a strong one at that. Minato looked.. like a  _girl_. He grimaced, hearing the red-headed Uzumaki girl's words in his head loud and clear and effectively crushing what little confidence he'd just managed to gather. He really had to work on his self-confidence after all of this was over. But until then...

An introduction was long overdue.

"Hello," Minato spoke softly, a small, shy smile adoring his young face, "I'm Namikaze Minato. It's nice to meet you Uzumaki-san. I wanted to introduce myself earlier... but I never got the chance." his fingers hesitantly took hold of Naruto's short sleeve. The fabric was soft, not too thick but also not too thin, just the right balance. It was also  _warm_ , "Thank you for accepting my flower. I'm happy I didn't have to drop it on the ground like all the others. That would have been very sad."

If Naruto weren't unconscious, Minato would never have been able to speak to him. Then again, he wasn't exactly talking  _to_  him as much as  _at_  him. Call him a coward, but this was all the courage he could muster right now. Perhaps one day he would be able to hold a conversation with him, but he wasn't able to yet.

"You don't know me. You've probably never even noticed me before.. but if it's not an inconvenience then perhaps we can be friends?" Naruto's chest rose up and down steadily and repetitively, silence the only answer he could give. "I'll work hard and then maybe I can make Jiraiya-sama notice me so we can be on the same team when I graduate."

With the sound of the door opening to the hospital, he spun around, took a step back and bowed at the snake Sannin who barely spared him a single glance before taking a seat beside Naruto's bed. Minato was gone by the time he did, and it was with renewed energy the boy darted down the hospital corridor to head home and get some rest. Well needed rest at that.

Ever since the battle begun, he'd not felt much happiness or joy, but now he did. However one-sided the encounter had been, no matter how morbid the situation, Minato felt overjoyed at finally talking to Naruto for the first time.

Or talking _at_ him. He wasn't exactly responsive in a coma. Obviously. 

  


* * *

  
  


Two days later Minato stood in one of the showering barracks with Shikaku, Inoichi, Chouza, Fugaku, Hiashi, and Hizashi.

They all had mixed feelings. The fighting had finally stopped, and everyone in Uzushio was being healed and treated in the camp. Some of them were happy- overjoyed, while others mourned and felt broken.

Minato and Shikaku were somewhere in between and to their surprise, so was the others in their age group as well. Among the clan kids anyway. Civilian borns normally didn't have a deep rooted connection with shinobi or the world they lived in, not like the kids of clans did. It was they who would return to their clan compounds and find that it was less crowded than before. They felt the loss, the consequences of war.

Helping the village treat the fighting shinobi also gave them a hard reality check. War was ugly, bloody and unforgiving. War didn't spare anyone. They'd treated everything from kids barely three years older than themselves to people in their sixties.

Minato was pretty sure he'd seen more blood in the span of three days then he'd been capable of imagining his whole life. He was happy it was over, naturally, but it was bitter.

_Victory_  was  _bitter_.

But he didn't have the energy to care right now. He was tired, so, so tired that his eyelids drooped and the strength in his body was leaving him.

Minato leaned up against the wall of the large shower room, back pressed against the cold white tiles and head held up with the remaining strength he possessed. Naked he might be, but if giving a chance he could fall asleep like that. Modesty was the least of his concerns right now.

The rest didn't fare much better. The Hyuuga twins and Fugaku were the only ones who didn't appear to suffer from their lack of sleep.  _Appeared_  being the keyword. Discipline kept them on their feet.

Chouza had no qualms about napping in the shower, so he did, face-down and snoring loudly in the echoing room.

Inoichi was sitting down and scrubbing his red-tinted fingers. The blood wouldn't come off no matter how hard he scrubbed the sore skin.

Shikaku was sitting under the warm rush of water, back pressed against the cold tiles and eyes distant. The boy was deep in thought, something he appeared to be quite a lot lately.

"It won't come off!" Inoichi finally sobbed, everything became too much for the Yamanaka who'd been relatively sheltered during his childhood.

Everyone looked at the blond boy, sympathy directed towards him but nobody said anything. That is until Minato and Shikaku moved closer and sat down next to him. Both of them took each of his hands and begun scrubbing, albeit much more gently.

Inoichi cried, thankful, overwhelmed and so upset and tired that all he wanted to do was sleep and never wake up again. He was ten, and he was a child. Children's didn't belong in war but he was the heir to his clan, the life of a shinobi was expected of him. Never before had he wished he was born a civilian.

"It's going to be okay Inoichi-san," Minato said gently, his attention fixed to the boy's nails. There was blood in the creases, and he carefully used his own to remove it, "It's over now."

Inoichi shook his head sharply, denial in his movements, "It's never going to stop! People are dead! They're all dead-"

"You look too much at the dead and too little at the living Inoichi." Shikaku turned the boy's hand over, "We're shinobi. We fight to protect those who can't protect themselves. I overheard my father, and he said we lost five thousand shinobi altogether on our side. Kiri had their entire fleet destroyed and apparently they had almost twenty thousand shinobi at their disposal. Iwa lost most of theirs as well, but they retreated to cut their losses. Konoha and Uzushio got off lucky. We won a war and saved thousands of people with the least amount of sacrifices possible."

"My father spoke of it as well." Fugaku confirmed, scrubbing his upper arm, "Apparently the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi destroyed over half the Kiri fleet before they even reached the shores. Father said that they wouldn't have survived such a large assault without him. The Sannin and Uzumaki apparently fought one of the bijuu as well. Until Uzumaki was knocked out." He scoffed.

Minato had to bite his tongue not to bring the Uchiha down a couple of pegs verbally. Naruto's clipboard file stated he was in a coma due to chakra exhaustion, something you didn't get unless you pushed yourself beyond what you could handle. He also had broken bones, lacerations, and torn muscles. If what Fugaku said was true then Naruto was fighting a  _bijuu_  to the point of damaging himself.

He couldn't quite withhold the glare he'd unconsciously aimed at the back of the Uchiha's head.

Naruto was fighting a monster! He was completely entitled to passing out after something like that! Why did Fugaku have to be so rude and disrespectful!? All they'd done was bring people food, mend  _minor_  wounds and give blankets to civilians. They were hardly in the position to criticise some like Uzumaki Naruto!

Shikaku glanced at his friend and raised a brow at the fierce scowl on his face that was unmistakably aimed at an unknowing Uchiha heir.

There was no way Minato was aware he was glaring at him, Shikaku mentally chuckled. The protectiveness he had over Naruto was  _off the_   _charts_.

He watched the boy turn to him, eyes widening before a furious blush spread across his face. He looked away, embarrassed for being so transparent and obvious.

Minato scrubbed Inoichi's hand in silence, quietly mourning his actions while he could practically feel Shikaku mentally laughing at him.

Shikaku was.

It was quiet for a couple of minutes before Chouza's eyes snapped open, "What exactly is a  _Jinchuuriki_?"

A couple of them blinked. Indeed, what was a Jinchuuriki? They'd never heard that before.

Fugaku frowned, "It's a human with a bijuu sealed inside of them. They're dangerous and shouldn't be around normal people. They're weapons."

Nobody said anything at that. All of them thoughtful. It's not like they'd heard about it until then so what did they know? Fugaku's clan handled the MP, so they were bound to know about threats such as that.

Minato shivered.

_Sounds scary._


	13. From one war to another

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't sleep so I ended up writing another chapter earlier than usual. Whoops on me~
> 
> Also,  
> Thank you guys for the comments! I love reading them all and they help motivate me to keep writing and updating so keep them coming!
> 
> And don't forget Kids = potatoes

Naruto woke up from his chakra-induced coma three weeks after the battle of Uzushio ended. He would have celebrated if he didn't feel like absolute  **shit**. Emotional things aside, his body ached like a bitch. The first thing he said when he woke up was an intelligent 'Ow..' and then his stomach rumbled like Satan was having a field day.

Now imagine his surprise when he found Orochi- _bloody_ -maru sitting by his bedside, glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, a single brow raised, a pen in hand, a notebook in his lap and the top of the page saying 'The tales of Uzumaki Naruto'.

Naruto frowned and looked around himself.

Was he  _that_  high on painkillers?

Shit, they used strong stuff back in the day to cause hallucinations that messed up!

"Am I alive?" He questioned dumbly. The Sannin didn't look all that impressed and snapped his notebook shut.

"Does it look like you're dead?" Orochimaru asked flatly.

Kurama guffawed loudly, informing the boy that he was  _very_  much alive.

_'Since when did Orochimaru become a damn author!? Of ME!?_

**_'He pulled an Uchiha Sasuke on you kit' he continued to laugh, 'You'll be hard pressed getting rid of him now!'_ **

_'Holy shit!'_

And wasn't that the truth. The boy blinked and looked around himself again, noticing that it looked like he was resting in a Yamanaka's flower shop on steroids.

"Did Ero-sennin die?" Because to be honest, if he wasn't in this room then there were only two places in the world he'd be; Either peeping at the hot springs or dead.  _Or_  dead  _at_  the hot springs. That wouldn't exactly come as a surprise. It was bound to happen at some point.

"Unfortunately not." The Sannin continued, "You've been unconscious for three weeks."

To be fair, that was less than he'd expected.

"So how'd the fight go? Did we kick their ass? Jiji still alive?"

"We won. Yes. Yes." The man stood up and walked towards a sink in the corner of the room. He took hold of a disposable plastic cup and filled it up with cold water, he then walked back to the surprised looking boy and handed it to him.

"Thanks," he said and then mentally shrugged because he'd seen way weirder shit in his days, "How many did we lose?"

"A total of five thousand. The first stunt you pulled cut that number down dramatically." Naruto grimaced. Orochimaru subtly searched his face, looking for something Naruto didn't quite understand and then looked away, seemingly pleased, "It will take another two weeks before the people of Uzu can return home. There are still corpses littered across the island and floating in the sea. It needs to be cleaned."

Naruto nodded in full agreement. The place looked like absolute carnage so it wasn't a big surprise that cleaning it up would take a while. Though he doubted the white walls of Uzu would be the same shining pearl that it used to be. Blood is hard to wash out.

"Did I miss the funeral?" More like mass-funeral. It was impossible to bury five thousand shinobi in a single day.

"Yes, it was a week of mourning. It ended six days ago." He confirmed, mentally ticking off a couple of boxes in his mind. What would Naruto care about first? How would he react to this or that? So far he was passing with flying colours. It wasn't strange for an orphan to inquire about his only  _family_ first but it was unusual to ask about the Hokage and the war a close second. It was only the essential questions as well, nothing useless. His priorities were straight, and that pleased the Sannin.

"I see." It was horrible, it really was, but somehow it just didn't measure up to the level of loss he'd experienced before, and five thousand seemed like a small price to pay for the survival of a whole country. He felt revolted by his lack of horror and sadness. Perhaps part of him was numbed after experiencing so much death after the Fourth war and Sasuke. "We were lucky."

Orochimaru couldn't quite stop the twitch on the right side of his lips, threatening to pull up in a smirk, "Very." He agreed. Most children would have been horrified by the number of five thousand. Not Naruto it would seem. 

"So I take it I had visitors." He mused aloud, eyes moving over the many flowers that even covered a good section of the floor because there was so many, "Because I don't think we lack storage facilities for sellable goods."

This time Orochimaru did smirk, because how could he not? "Tsunade had to close down visiting hours. They were blocking the corridor."

Okay, _that_  was new.

**_'Humans seem to enjoy talking to vegetables.'_**  Kurama grinned wickedly,  ** _'Some girls tried to kiss you.'_**

"What!?" Naruto exclaimed and confused the Sannin who blinked slowly. The boys head snapped to the man, eyes fearful and lips quivering, "You didn't let them kiss me, did you?"

_Ah_ , the Sannin thought,  _the Kyuubi was telling him something. And it would appear like the creature can see what's around the boy even if he's unconscious. Fascinating._

"Tsunade made it a point to oversee their visits." He reached for a small pile of cotton on Naruto's bedside table and then put it in his ears, the boy watched him, perplexed, "I prefer to observe, analyse and reflect social interactions, not partake in them."

Just as the man finished his sentence the door to his room was thrown open, and Jiraiya entered. At the same time the sound of squealing girls and shouts of 'Why'd he get to go in!?' and 'Naruto-kun!' resounded in the corridor and his room, making his bed shake along with the windows to his hospital room.

Bewildered and bloody well terrified the boy reached for his blanket and dived underneath it to hide from the hormonal horror outside the door.

"Great! You're awake!" Jiraiya announced loud enough for the voices outside to fall completely silent before they suddenly  _exploded_ with renewed vigour, shouts and commands to 'call security' and 'hold them back!' bounced off the walls until the Toad Sage slid the door shut and all sound was gone.

Naruto peeked out from a small hole in the blanket, fearful and scared for his life, "Are they gone?!" He whispered hysterically.

Orochimaru removed the cotton in his ears, put them to the side and reached for his notebook once more.

"They can't reach you in here." The white-haired man grinned, "Unless you want me to let them in?"

A kunai instantly tore through the air and embedded itself next to Jiraiya's head; a sweat-drop fell from his hairline and down his temple. Orochimaru flipped to another page, ignoring the incredulous expression on the boy.

"I take that as a 'no'." He chuckled nervously. The man straightened his back and grinned, quickly recovering from the near-death experience by the hands of his teammate, "Glad to see you up, kid. Expected you to be out longer though."

"Me too." Naruto admitted, "Kurama is getting good at healing me up."

"I can tell." His grin turned sickly sweet, "But are you sure it's not because the last time the Hokage was here for a visit, he said that they were understaffed at the academy and could use someone to fill the spot for the taijutsu training?"

Naruto blanched. Kurama whistled innocently. Orochimaru leaned a little closer to his book and Jiraiya fluttered his eyelashes.

"No." Naruto said firmly, "I refuse." His eyes were quickly turning overwrought, "I can't do it." His point at the man accusingly, "You can't make me!"

Jiraiya shoved his left hand into his pocket, withdrew a scroll, tossed it at the boy and  _beamed_.

" _Nooooooooooo!_ "

  


* * *

  
  


"You too huh."

A familiar brown haired jounin, Shimpei Taketa, stopped next to Naruto, face twisted in regret and resignation, crocodile tear rolling down his cheeks.

He did  _not_  want to be there.

Go figure.

"Whyyy?" He mourned. "I finally got rid of the last ones."

Naruto looked towards the entrance to the Academy, horror pooling in his gut. The last time he'd been at the academy, he'd failed the graduation exam three times, pranked the shit out of anyone and everything in the building and spent more time standing in the hallways than inside the classroom. He didn't like the Academy very much. Not many happy memories in there.

"I woke up sixteen hours ago." Naruto said, voice shaky, "I had a near death experience, and now they put me here." He looked up at the jounin who's expression mirrored his terrified one, "They want me dead." He whispered, eyes widening.

Taketa swallowed audibly, placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and said, completely resigned; "Then let us die like men."

Naruto's mouth was dry, he swallowed as well, eyes bewildered but nodding all the same.

There was no going back now. No return. This was it. The end game. The make it or break it.

"For Konoha." The man turned boy grasped for his courage, the jounin doing the same.

It wasn't working.

"This mission better have a fat check when it's over." Taketa took a step forward and then another.

"It's got a C-rank payment stamp on it." Naruto mourned, Taketa, face-planted with the ground, "It was on the back. In the top right corner."

The bastards tried to hide it. Nobody would take on a two-week assignment at the Academy for a C-rank mission payment.

Most people actually valued their lives.

"Whyyyyy?!" The jounin cried, missing the headmaster of the academy now standing right in front of them.

"You must be the new taijutsu instructors." A grey haired man said. He had green eyes, a hunched back, somewhat shaky hands and enough wrinkles to justify taking a trip to the local dry cleaning service to iron it all out for a discount. He also looked ready to retire and torch his office before he left.

"Unfortunately," Naruto grumbled.

"Chin up lads! You're in charge of taijutsu training, at least you can justify knocking the demons down once in a while. Not all the new temporary instructors are that lucky." The man smiled a little too innocently and turned around, allowing the two speechless shinobi to follow in silence. Their surprise quickly turned to sadistic pleasure as they popped their knuckles and smiled wickedly.

"I don't care what I have to pay you, but I'm not going within a miles radius of the girls in this place," Naruto warned Taketa.

Said man nodded, "B-rank pay."

"Deal."

"All the clan heirs are boys."

"Oh, _come on!_ " Naruto whined.

"No take-backs."

The chibi Hokage was already considering dropping a clone and ditching the place, but if Jiji caught on, he'd flay his ass.  _Goddamn it!_

The two of them walked towards the staff room and entered with an aura that scream ' _I'm only here because I have to be. I also want to die.'_ and judging by the other eight people sitting on a couple of sofas and arm chairs around a coffee table, they were there for the same reason. Most of them were glaring at the offending hours of their schedules and trying to find some positives in all the darkness.

Naruto and Taketa sat down, receiving a round of sympathising looks until a man with black hair and scar across his cheek asked, "So what are you two in for?"

"Taijutsu." Taketa smirked, "I get to knock the little shits over, and nobody can say  _anything_."

The whole lot of them glared, radiating envy.

"Any tips on how to beat an Uchiha heir without offending his delicate pride?" Naruto sighed.

Everyone simultaneously flicked their right hand to the side and chorused, " **Impossible**."

Crocodile tears rolled down the boys cheeks, " _Great_."

"I'd rather scrub the damn walls in Uzu than babysit brats." One of them muttered, and the rest nodded.

Naruto blinked, "I've been unconscious for the last three weeks, how's the place looking?"

"You're Jiraiya-sama's kid, aren't you?" A woman recognised, "I thought I recognised you from Uzu!"

"Uzumaki Naruto." He bobbed his head in greeting.

"How'd you fall unconscious?" another asked.

"Chakra exhaustion. We were fighting the Sanbi on the beach, and I blew through my reserves." Naruto explained with a shrug, pointedly ignoring the shock on their faces. "Woke up sixteen hours ago and now I'm here to suffer like the rest of you."

"Damn," Taketa raised his brows, "They really are out to get you. Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Naruto sighed and looked really tired, "I have a Kekkei Genkai that enhances my healing abilities. That's why I don't have any scars- can't get them. I can't even get sick. The moment I woke up all I felt was really sore and hungry. I was handed a mission scroll, kicked out from the hospital and all of that in less than two hours of waking up."

"That Kekkei Genkai would be awesome," the black haired one said, "Until they treat you like a work mule."

"Hear hear."

Collective dread fell over the group of ten unfortunate souls when the bell rang. It was with crestfallen steps they bid each other good luck and farewell. With some luck, they'd all see each other again.

Naruto and Taketa waited in the staff-room until the corridors fell silent before daring to venture out into the large open yard.

The two of them left the Academy building, walked a little bit further and then stopped right before the last corner leading to the yard. They peeked around it, Taketa easily towering over the blond boy.

They grimaced simultaneously, eyes fixed on the giggling girls and the boys who were stretching.

At least  _some_  of them seemed mildly interested in the class.

"Wanna trade?" Taketa's gaze was moving between the stick-thin girls and their endless fawning over two particular boys across the yard.

Uchiha Fugaku and Namikaze Minato.

"No."

"They all look like they would float away if I walked past them too fast. Don't kids eat these days?"

"Oh, they eat." Naruto reassured, "Salad, oxygen, and H2O."

"That's a 'no' then?"

"That's a no." He confirmed with a nod.

"That's going to change  **today**  if it's the last thing I do." Taketa growled, "After this day is over they'll be throwing themselves over the nearest hotdog stand and weep over the food of  _gods_."

" **Ramen**  is the food of gods." The boy glared up at the jounin.

The jounin glared right back, "No, it's not.  _Heathen food._ "

Naruto sucked in a sharp, offended, breath, "You  _animal!"_ The blond stared up at the jounin, utterly scandalised.

"If we survive this I'll show you the best place in Konoha." He promised fiercely.

"Tomorrow you'll follow me to the best Ramen in the world!" Naruto matched his ferocity. Nobody disrespected the noodle dish of oral orgasms. He would educate this non-believer if it were the last thing he did!

" _Fine_."

" _Fine!_ "

The two let out a 'humph', crossed their arms and glared.

At the sound of shrieking girls and shouting boys the two sighed.

No point delaying the inevitable any longer.

Despite all his years as Hokage, he'd never had his own genin team for the sole reason that he couldn't stand kids most of the time. He didn't hate them, not really, but he lacked the patience to guide them the way they needed him to. He wasn't a paper ninja, and the theory of things wasn't his forte. If something didn't work he tried something else and when he didn't understand he shrugged, mumbled something along the lines of 'whatever.' and then he completely ignored it until he stumbled across it naturally. Naruto wasn't afraid to admit he wasn't the sharpest kunai in the pouch. Not many would understand that in this time but all he could do and all he'd learned he'd done over the course of forty-nine years. Along with having Shikamaru as a personal assistant and advisor(he would have burned the village down without him. Math sucked just as much as an adult as a kid).

Having a genin team would also mean becoming stagnant in the ranks. With hyperactivity and more energy than he could physically get rid of- sitting and babying kids during D-ranks wasn't advisable. He'd honestly lose his mind.

But still, the most predominant point was that people like him were rare. Namely, shinobi who had problems understanding the written theory and learned through actions. Because if he couldn't explain how something worked for kids who only learned through theory, then he'd be in for a massive headache. It also wasn't fair to them.

However, the raging fan-girls was a major turn off and the current cause for his desperate urge to run away and hide under a rock.

_God,_ he hated school.   
  
The two of them straightened their backs, shoved their hands into their standard issue black shinobi pants and walked out with far more relaxed confidence than either one of them felt. But they couldn't call themselves real shinobi if they couldn't even hide their emotions from Academy students.   
  
Naturally, the first to notice them was the girls. They, in turn, _alerted_  the boys who gathered in a group and begun to whisper- well, some of them did.   
  
Naruto mentally cringed, Kurama laughed yet again, and Taketa just wanted to get the damn day over with.   
  
"Gather around brats!" Taketa ordered, "Quickly! We don't have all day."  
  
The kids quickly did, lining up into four long rows, eyes wide and eager to have the two there. One of them in particular.   
  
"My name is Shimpei Taketa. I'm a jounin, and you will address me as Shimpei-sensei while I'm here, is that clear?" eyes moving over the children.  
  
"Yes, Shimpei-sensei!" they chorused.   
  
It was subtle, but Naruto felt a small chakra pulse from the jounin, signalling for him to go on next. He did,  
  
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm a chunin." he ignored the squealing girls. "Like Taketa-san you will address me as Uzumaki-sensei while I'm here, we clear?"  
  
"Yes, Uzumaki-sensei!" 

"The two of us have decided to split this class in half while we work with you. That means you'll only work with one of us. I'm taking care of the girls, Naruto-san is covering the boys." the complaints was instantaneous.   
  
"Why?"  
  
"That's not fair!"  
  
"I want to learn from Uzumaki-sensei!"  
  
"Naruto-kun!"  
  
"Noooo!"  
  
"I'm not doing it!"  
  
"Enough!" Taketa raised his voice and sent a wave of KI over the group, the girls sucking in a sharp breath and the boys staggering. He glared, already losing the rest of his good mood for the day, "This is  _exactly_  why we're splitting the group. Now let me make something perfectly  **clear,** " He crossed his arms and ignored the fear that begun to radiate from the group of kids in front of him. "If either one of you complains like you just did when you become genin, much less chunin, and jounin, you will lose your rank, get your headband taken away from you and sent to TI for insubordination and punishment."  
  
Another chakra pulse.  
  
Naruto picked up the line with an unimpressed frown, "Your job isn't to ask questions. Your job is to follow orders, and you will do so, or you can pack your bag, walk out of this academy and pick up a civilian job. You're training to become shinobi; assassins, trackers, interrogators, fighters, _killers_. If you can't even follow orders this early then there's no hope for you, and you might as well quit while you're ahead." he then scowled for effect, "This isn't a game. People die in our line of work every day. The average age for a shinobi is twenty-eight. You're here to serve Konoha, and if need be, then you'll die for Konoha." Naruto stared down the many horrified looks he was getting. He gestured between Taketa and himself, "We're here to help you better your chances of surviving a confrontation with enemy shinobi, bandits, even civilians. We're not instructors; we're fighters."   
  
Taketa gave him a subtle glance, surprised at his choice of words. It wasn't exactly what he'd been going for, but now he was curious to see where Naruto was going with it,   
  
"Unlike your usual instructors, we live and fight in the field regularly. We know what it takes to survive in this profession. Your instructors, while still having the rank of chunin, have been inactive from field-duty and would end up dead right after the civilians and genins if a war broke out in Konoha. Frankly," Naruto sighed, eye half-lidded, "Neither Taketa-san, I or any other of the temporary chunin and jounin instructors want to be here. We left the academy with no plan on returning and teaching a bunch of shinobi wannabe's is below our qualifications. So," He took a step forward, " _While we're here you're not going to waste our time_. You're going to do your absolute  **best** , and you're going to swallow your complaints, do as you're told and  _like it_. You've been given the opportunity to learn taijutsu from shinobi on active field-duty, and that's rare. We have different teaching methods, and it's harsher, less forgiving, and we're going to drill you so hard you'll wish you could drop dead by the end of the day." he then smirked, looking over each of them, "You lot ready to bleed?"  
  
Taketa felt his own adrenaline surge at the way the boy spoke. A natural public speaker. Even he smirked and looked at the either terrified or awe-struck children.   
  
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all?  
  
"Alright," Taketa said, "The girls will follow me. We're going to stretch and then run five laps around the village so I can get a read on your stamina. After that, you're going to do pushups, situps, squats, weight-training, flexibility exercises and finally, learn how to massage your muscles to avoid damage. Any complaints?"

Not a single word was uttered. The girls merely swallowed audibly and nodded. They  _seriously_ didn't want to piss off either one of their new temporary instructors, no matter the subject. Naruto may be their prince charming but they sure as hell didn't want to train under him anymore. He didn't joke around. 

"Good. You're catching on quickly. Now, follow me." The man sent a single wave of his hand to Naruto who nodded back and turned his attention back towards the children in front of him. Well, actually they were mostly older than him, so he felt somewhat pathetic at the moment. Lecturing someone that's older than you never actually gave you satisfaction unless they were at least twenty-plus and not kids barely out of their diapers.   
  
The fact that he was seen as a nine-year-old himself was something he pointedly ignored for his own sanity's sake.   
  
The boys filed into two rows now instead of four, filling up their lines. Nobody said anything, eyes alert and some a little sceptical of the nine-year-old in front of him. Naruto didn't plan for those thoughts to linger for very long. He'd knock it out of them if he had to.   
  
It was easy enough to slip into his commanding Hokage voice when he needed people to listen and do what he told them to. Talking to kids really wasn't that different from talking to chunin.   
  
_Unfortunately_.   
  
"Personally I've never been a shinobi that's cared much for theory," he stated simply and grinned, "Which is why you're going to forget everything you've read in those shitty books and show me what you've  _really_ got." The response was confusion, a couple of them whispering to each other and shrugging. They didn't have any idea what the boy was on about, "Let me put it this way;" he continued and regained their attention, "If you use the Academy taijutsu style in the field-" He smiled, "You're going to die."  
  
Their mouths fell open.   
  
The simple truth was that the academy style sucked nuts and if they valued their lives they would find their own styles before someone turned them into barbeque.  
  
"Let's begin shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, when I wrote this I accidentally spelled 'Taketa' as 'Takeda' for the entire chapter so if I missed it somewhere- Gomen!
> 
> I'm on a roll with this part of the story so the next chapter might be up as early as tonight!


	14. A taste of the real world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder; Don't forget that Naruto is an actual adult. A man that served as Kage for decades. He's not a kid so he's going to be acting differently compared to kids "their" age.
> 
> And yes, they're killers(the anime and manga don't always act like they are). I don't buy the whole broody bullshit most spew in time travel and especially not from adults(Naruto is not Kakashi). Besides, Naruto is a grown-ass man and Jiraiya is a grandpa-something-thing. 
> 
> Alright, ONWARDS!

Naruto stood in the large open yard of the academy, eyes fixed on the students in front of him. Some of them appeared eager to learn while others seemed more sceptical and hesitant. That was going to be knocked out of them before long.

"Alright, how do you usually train during this class?" Naruto asked and waited for someone to raise their hand. The boys looked at each other for a moment before Inoichi raised his hand hesitantly,

"Erm.. well, we usually start by stretching and then we go through our katas and then before class ends we spar."

So it was the same as during his time. Complete  **shit**  in other words.

"I see. We'll we're not going to do any of that. Well, apart from the stretching. Wouldn't want you to pull a muscle or whatever. They say that stuff can hurt for weeks." he mused aloud and sucked in a breath and clapped his hands but before he could continue to bark out orders he saw a hand raised in the air. He blinked at the chubby-looking boy with red hair and purple facial markings. Chouza no doubt. He looked way too similar to Chouji to be anyone else.

"Akimichi-san."

"The way you said that.. does that mean you've never pulled a muscle before?" he asked curiously.

That gained everyone's attention. Great, they  _had_  to pick up on _that_  part.

"Ah, well I've got a Kekkei Genkai." he explained, hands shoved into his pants again, "I heal a lot faster than ordinary people. I've never been sick in my life, and I don't have a single scar on my body no matter how many times I've been cut up. A pulled muscle will heal in a couple of hours."

Shikaku and Minato looked at each other, the same thought going through their heads as the rest of the group marvelled at the boy's ability.

When the two of them met Naruto the first time he'd been bleeding quite heavily and even if Tsunade, the best medic in the elemental nations, was there just moments earlier she hadn't healed him.  _Why?_ They'd kept asking themselves. Now it was explained by the simple fact that Naruto didn't  _need_ to be healed. He would heal on his own and he must have made Tsunade save her chakra in favor of just waiting it out and letting his body heal on its own.

Still, this day was proving to be interesting, and neither one of them wanted to disappoint Naruto after his words. Not that they wanted to do it before but even more so now.

Meanwhile, Minato was having the time of his life, practically giddy with anticipation at sparring in front of Naruto. It was a common fact among his classmates that Fugaku and himself were the best ones in their year.

"But we're not here to talk about me. We're here to whip you guys in to shape and make you look more like shinobi and less like civilians playing dress-up." some of the boys bristled and Naruto smirked, "Now, stretch up and prove me wrong. Pairs of two. You've got fifteen minutes and if you're not done by then you'll spend your following days in the hospital explaining to nurses and your guardians why you failed to listen to your instructor when he told you to stretch and still failed to do so." they stared at him and his smirk grew wider, "Chop chop ladies. Fourteen minutes." Naruto was going to have fun with this.

The group quickly paired themselves up, and Minato and Shikaku walked to the side and sat down, both of them reaching down to their toes repeatedly, "I didn't think he'd be a slave driver." Shikaku muttered.

Minato merely smiled, "Exciting isn't it?" he turned to look at the sour expression on the Nara's face. He didn't register it and continued, "He's very inspiring."

Shikaku sighed in exasperation, "You're the only one here that's excited about this, you know that right?"

Minato shrugged, "It's a shame though, don't you think? He could teach us so much, and people are too busy being childish to embrace the opportunity. It's like he said, an opportunity like this is rare."

It was, Shikaku could admit, but it didn't make it any more fun. Personally, he was enjoying watching Minato much more. The boy didn't have his usual timid and shy personality around the blond at the moment. Most likely because taijutsu was something he was confident in and felt like he was finally in his element for a change. Everything 'shinobi' made him much more confident, focused and courageous. Shikaku admired that about his blond friend.

"You're right. But I'm not going to pretend I'm enjoying this. I have a very strong feeling we're going to walk away from this class with more bruises than we've accumulated in the last year. And taijutsu has never been my strong suit."

The blond boy smiled kindly, "I know but I'll help you out. We can partner up when we spar too."

Nara smiled, thankful, "Thanks, Minato."

"It'll be fine." He reassured.  


* * *

  


"You're not going to be sparring in pairs-" Naruto said.

Shikaku wanted to  **die**. His taijutsu wasn't nearly good enough to go face to face with whoever he wanted them to spar with.. and if his intuition served him well then he knew exactly what he was going to say next-

"You're going to spar with me."

_For the love of GOD WHY!?_

He looked to his friend, his mood instantly turning even more sour as he noted the boy literally  **beaming**  at the prospect at sparring with Naruto.

"Murder me..this is too damn troublesome." he mourned.

Meanwhile, Naruto walked back and forth in front of them, eyes on the ground and a thoughtful look on his face. He stopped, whipped around and let his gaze move over the lot of them.

"I'm going to evaluate every single one of you. If you suck, I'll tell you as much." he stated bluntly, "But I'll also tell you what you can do to stop sucking. I'm going to evaluate your strengths, your weaknesses and I'm going to make you individual schedules that I want you all to stick to until you get your jounin instructors. And I'm going to inform you all right now that after the academy ends for the day, you will all have to go through one session of it after dinner. I've seen enough genin in this village to safely say that they suck. Horribly."

The group audibly swallowed. Getting a dress-down by a boy a year younger than them really sucked but if they said anything all hell would break loose, they were certain of that at least. Not to mention, their headmaster wouldn't have even allowed the boy inside the academy if he wasn't up to snuff.

"I want all of you to form two lines, one on each side of the grounds." Naruto pulled four kunai from seemingly nowhere and threw them in four different directions. "Half of you stand on that side between the kunai and the other on this side."

The group quickly lined up between the kunai on each side. It almost looked like they were being pitted against each other like two opposing armies. Naruto walked back and forth in the middle, nodding approvingly.

"Good. The purpose of this is to give you a good angle to watch the spar. You will each take note of what your classmate does wrong, what they can improve and what they excel at." he continued, "You might all make genin at one point but you'll never make chunin if you don't have the ability to lead others. But being a chunin requires you to understand and utilize your teammate's abilities to make your team run like a well-oiled machine,  _flawlessly._ " he stood at the head of the lines, "Being a shinobi isn't just about being able to defeat your opponents and complete missions successfully. You need to have a good character, be trustworthy and approachable when duty calls for it. But more than anything you need to be a good team-player. When you get a genin team they will be your comrades, your friends, and your family. You will spend more time with your team than you'll sleep in your own bed. You will fight together and you will die together if duty calls for it."

He made sure he had everyone's attention before he continued. Not a single one looked away from him,

"Now, who can tell me why I'm talking about being a chunin when you're not even a genin yet?"

Shikaku raised his hand without hesitation; Naruto nodded for him to continue, "It's important to observe your teammates, and in this case, our opponents, to prepare ourselves and to build strategies so we can use our skill set to best counter theirs. It's a simple matter of knowing your enemy."

"Yup," Naruto confirmed, "You heard the Nara. To fight an opponent while knowing jack shit about them is like stabbing yourself in the neck and hoping you missed the artery. Pretty damn stupid if I say so myself." a couple of them chuckled, and others smiled, "So we're not going to do that. We're going to see what our opponents can do before we run into the fray. You might not always be able to do that in combat but a lot of the times you can make time to do it with some effort."

Naruto's hands moved up and formed a clone sign. He didn't have to call out his technique for four shadow clones to appear in a cloud of chakra smoke and then walk to each end of the two lines of Academy students.

If he was going to evaluate them properly then he needed all the details and from all angles, hence the shadow clones. He'd have to dispel them after each spar, but it was worth it.

"Alright, we start from the top of the alphabet, Akimichi-san. You're up."

Chouza quickly looked to Inoichi, a sliver of worry in his eyes and heart thundering in his chest. He was nervous, a little sweaty and quite scared he'd underperform and disappoint the Uzumaki boy-turned-instructor.

But he walked forward, taking one step at a time and then stopped opposite Naruto who stood completely relaxed. "What ninjutsu do you know?" Naruto asked.

Chouza blinked and then frowned thoughtfully, "The Kawarimi, clone technique and henge. I have my clan techniques too but only two of them."

Naruto nodded, "You have my permission to use all of them in this spar. Remember," he spoke to all of them this time, "Shinobi doesn't fight fair so never expect them to. People who fight fairly won't live long. Don't hold back Chouza-san, you won't harm me, and I want you to come at me with the aim to kill me."

Worried, the boy looked to his friends who smiled grimly but shooed him with their hands. He could do it.

"Then I won't hold back Uzumaki-sensei," Chouza repeated.

"Good. Start."

Chouza charged, fist raised and when he came close enough to reach him, he swung his fist forward and missed spectacularly. Naruto had merely side-stepped him, only leaning enough to the side for his fist to pass him. Chouza didn't let up and continued relentlessly and missing each time.

Naruto effortlessly moved out of his strikes but close enough so he could be reached by the Akimichi.

"Never swing your fist with a fully outstretched arm or you'll pull a muscle and possibly break your arm if your opponent strikes you on the elbow. Keep your elbows close to your body," he demonstrated as the spar continued without pause, "Keep your body closer to your opponent and eyes on me. Block with your forearms and palms and dodge by side-stepping. Small movements. Save energy. A tired shinobi is a dead shinobi."

Despite everything, Chouza was having a lot of fun sparring like this. He smiled, taking the advice to heart because he'd never had such hands-on help before. Never anyone to correct him like that. His own clan and his own father only gave him a scroll with the Akimichi katas and then he was to learn them, show them to his father and clan-members and then he was deemed passable. This was different, katas didn't matter if you couldn't strike your opponent and Naruto easily moved out of his way.

But more than anything he  _felt_  the improvement with each piece of advice he took and made his own. He loved this.

Naruto didn't consider himself a good instructor, but he could work with taijutsu and normal ninjutsu. So long as he didn't have to explain the theory behind the damn things and how shit worked, then he'd be fine. Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were his specialities after all. Because if there was one thing he knew how to do like no other, it was to beat the shit out of his opponents.

In the end, Chouza didn't use ninjutsu, focusing on his raw strength and stamina. That was all right for now, Naruto decided.

The boy sat down on the ground, panting loudly, sweat dripping from his hair and face red from exhaustion.

Naruto stood back up from his stance and nodded.

"Good job Akimichi-san." The chubby boy grinned widely, pride settling in his gut as he pulled himself up and walked over to his friends who patted him on the back and smiled right back.

Naruto wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Now, I want you all to tell me what Akimichi-san did wrong, what he can improve and what he excels at."

The blond boy's clones popped, and memories flooded him. He blinked, organising them all and humming thoughtfully, although quiet enough that nobody took notice of it.

Fugaku raised his hand, face entirely neutral, "He overextends and uses too much strength." The Uchiha spoke, earning a nod from the blond to continue, "Naturally he should improve his control, so he doesn't waste energy. And I suppose his strength is his strong point."

Naruto hummed and looked to the chubby boy whos spirit seemed slightly dampened by the criticism.

"Uchiha-san is correct in his statement that you overextend. You do, which is why I informed you to keep your elbows close to your body. Did you feel an improvement when you tried?"

"I did Uzumaki-sensei! I felt stronger."

"It's also true that you need control, but so does everyone and it's something you learn through rigorous training. Control takes  _years_. A quicker way to gain control is to spar regularly with different opponents of different strengths. The ones of you from clans can use that in your favour and train with your clansmen. The ones of you from civilian backgrounds should start a sparring group to train with. Better yet, mix it up and train together in one of your compounds. Build bonds."

Shikaku had to admit that it was a pretty brilliant idea. But he had rather mixed feelings about the fact that they'd picked everything up so quickly after only a short while with Uzumaki while they'd been at the academy for years. There was a severe gap between the academy life and that of a shinobi.

"Strong points." Naruto said, "The Akimichi clan favours strength above all else, and that's something you have. But like you noticed earlier- strength is useless if you can't hit your opponent." Chouza frowned and nodded; the boy was in full agreement, "So how do you hit an enemy that's faster than you?"

A civilian born boy raised his hands, "Speed?"

"That's one option." Naruto agreed. "A good option as well if you have the physics for it. But Akimichi-san isn't built for speed but strength. So what do you do when you run from an enemy but can't get away?"

Minato's eyes lit up, and he raised his hand, "Out-smart them."

Naruto smirked, "Exactly." He turned back to Chouza who seemed even more dampened by that. He wasn't the brightest of shinobi after all. "There's different kinds of smart." Naruto explained as Chouza's eyes widened, "There are book-smarts and then there's the ability to think up things on the fly. A common practice to evolve the way you think is to build traps. As such I'm going to recommend you to take an interest in trap-building Akimichi-san. A good enough trap can kill a jounin and you wouldn't even have to get close. But you're an Akimichi, you can crush people with your raw power and as such, you should focus on containment- and movement hindering traps."

The boy beamed and then bowed, much to the surprise of the heirs.

Naruto only smiled. "Alright, who's next?"

The group, despite how they didn't do much, learned more during one class with Uzumaki than they'd done the whole year in taijutsu. Naruto didn't care about the Academy style. Instead, he encouraged them to fight in a way that felt natural for them. The results were telling.

None of them noticed that the headmaster was observing the class as well as Orochimaru who was sitting in a tree with his notebook. The principal was thinking along the lines of changing the way taijutsu was taught while Orochimaru was taking note of what the boy said. Because he'd been right about him; he was inspiring and a born leader. People listened to him when he spoke, and they did so willingly.

"Hyuuga Hiashi." Naruto finally got around to another clan heir.

The boy straightened his back, held his chin high and walked out of the line and stopped in front of Naruto who didn't look to be anywhere close to tired.

"Same as everyone else."

Hiashi didn't need to be told twice. He charged, instantly falling into his Juuken style, and bombarding the blond with chakra enforced strikes.

Except.. he couldn't hit him.

But Naruto was dodging differently. Instead of blocking the boy with his forearms and side-steps, Naruto held out his palms and moved them in motion with Hiashi's Juuken. He seemingly strokes the Hyuuga's wrist with his open palm and efficiently redirected every strike with deadly precision. Something he made to look effortless compared to the quick and frantic hits of the heir.

Hiashi was losing his cool because nobody was supposed to be able to dodge the Juuken and while he could make contact, Naruto was slippery as an eel.

"You need to relax." Naruto advised, "Your movements are rigid and inflexible. You're like a tree that refuses to bend to a storm. If you continue, you will only break. Or in real combat; die." He stated, ignoring how obviously frustrated the Hyuuga heir became, "If you're not willing to compromise or improvise then you will die. You're predictable and an easy target. And your temper sucks."

A couple of the boys snickered because wasn't that the truth.

The spar continued with the Hyuuga heir continuing as he had before. He wasn't listening. Not  _trying_  to change. Because if that Naruto was growing increasingly irritated.

Hiashi finally growled, overextended, tottered past Naruto just as the blond boy brought out his foot and tripped him, the boy sliding over the ground with his chest and face down.

Everything became quiet. Hizashi began to move but a kunai embedded itself on the ground in front of him, he halted, looked up at Uzumaki and saw a clear warning not to meddle, he took a step back and nodded.

Hiashi was pulling himself up off the ground, spit a mouthful of blood and turned to glare as fiercely as he could at the nine-year-old blond boy, said boy merely raised a brow.

"What did Hyuuga Hiashi do wrong?" Although this time nobody raised their hands despite knowing. The air was different around this spar, "First off Hyuuga-san, you don't listen unless you think you're wrong. But the problem is you don't believe that you're wrong, hence you don't listen to advice. Your clan technique is your own and you can do with it as you please." He begun walking towards the boy and stopped right in front of him and looked down, eyes dark and somewhat cold, "But it's the moment when you don't think about what your poor form will do to your teammates that we're going to develop a problem with each other. Is your pride worth more than the lives of your comrades? Is it something worth dying for?"

The boy was about to open his mouth. Shout that ' _Of_   _course it is!_ ' the Hyuuga fought their way. But he never got the chance,

"Nara!" Shikaku snapped to attention. "In a game of shogi, the most valuable piece of the board is that of the King, correct?"

Shikaku frowned, confused about where Naruto was going with this, but he nodded all the same, "Correct."

"Who is the King in Konoha?" The blond boy asked the entire class.

That was met with silence and confusion, but Shikaku's eyes widened. He understood. He  _understood_  what Naruto was trying to say and it made sense.  **A lot**  of sense!

"The Hokage?" Another civilian born boy asked.

Minato shook his head, unknowingly doing so while Naruto watched him, "What do you think Namikaze-san?"

The boys breath hitched, but he quickly gathered himself and spoke softly, "The people?"

"Close enough." Naruto nodded, "Shinobi fight to protect the King. We don't fight to protect the Hokage. We only follow his orders to protect the King. The King is the people, but more specifically the next generation." He then looked at all of them, "Right now, in Konoha,  _you_  are the King."

He turned back to Hiashi who'd stood up, glaring a little less but still there.

"Clan pride is all well and good until you start gambling with the life of the King. How exactly you gambled with the King in your performance is up for you to discover. I'm not here to tell you where to walk and why but simply teach you how. You know how to walk, but you don't know where you're going or why."

At that moment Shikaku saw something in Naruto that swept his feet away from underneath him. The same went for the headmaster and Orochimaru who wrote down exactly what he'd said.

Naruto wasn't just strong, Shikaku realised, he was wise. He understood that he fought for something bigger than him and that his life was nothing compared to the village.

If he didn't know any better than he was pretty certain he was looking at a Kage in the making.

Minato was of the same thoughts, and his eyes sparkled, stars twinkling as the minor hero-worship swelled to the source of all his inspiration.

 **That** **'s**  how he wanted to be.

"Next up is Hyuuga Hizashi."

That went better. Hizashi understood what his brother did wrong and did his best to rectify his mistakes because the truth was that Naruto wasn't wrong. If his brother was too fixed and inflexible in the field along with his teammates, he could die and in turn cost him his teammate's lives because of his absence. It was harsh, but it was true. Quite horrible truth as well but the truth none the less. The Hyuuga style had received a merciless dress-down and most likely a well-needed one at that.

It was only sad that Hiashi had to be the one to receive it since he was so proud and worked so hard to live up to their father's expectations. But he'd seen how quickly Naruto dodged his brother's Juuken, as if though it was mere child's play. That was dangerous because it meant that enemies could learn to do the same.

The Hyuuga had to evolve if they were going to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, I bet you expected Mina/Naru in this chapter *cackles madly*
> 
>  Maybe it's in the next chapter? *wink*


	15. Remember me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Aburame Shibi because OMG I'M SO SORRY I FORGOT ABOUT YOU, MY FRIEND! BUT NOW YOU DON'T FIT INTO THE PLOT AND I HAVE TO SQUEEZE YOU IN SOMEHOW! WHAT DO I DO!? 
> 
> *sips on tea*

Minato was nervous.  
  
Well, he was bordering on turning nauseous from the bubbling nerves so he wasn't sure it could be called 'nervous' anymore. More like slightly unstable but in a good way. It was possible to be mentally unstable in a good way, right?   
  
He wanted to do well like he knew he could. Minato was the best student in the academy, everything from flower arrangement to taijutsu, mathematics, and history. It didn't matter what class it was; he was the best in all of it. No matter what the instructors put in front of him- he could do without fault.   
  
But he didn't consider himself a prodigy or a genius but rather a driven and highly curious individual. Interest was what drove him to do the best that he could. The fact that he was talented at analysing and understanding things was beside the point. Knowledge was addicting. Whenever he learned something new he wanted to continue, never stopping and just absorb everything he could.   
  
Which was also why he'd practically memorised everything Naruto had said up until that point, along with everything he'd taught.   
  
Minato knew Naruto was great, but now he realised that he was incredible. There was something special about Naruto. Even the air around him felt different, intoxicating and alluring, magnetic enough to draw his attention and keep it there.   
  
"Next up is Namikaze." he watched Naruto fold the class-list and shove it back into his pocket. "Same as everyone else."  
  
Minato swallowed, an encouraging and subtle poke from Shikaku making his legs move on their own and into position. The boy looked up and locked eyes with Naruto's blue ones. At that moment the only thing he could hear was the beating of his heart and the soft sound of the wind. Naruto's lips moved, not hearing what he said but he could read them, and he registered the order of  _'start'_  easily enough.   
  
Everything stilled.  
  
Then, suddenly, something  _clicked_ \- falling into place like a lost puzzle piece returning to its rightful place, and Minato charged. He was in front of Naruto in an instant, right hand delivering a quick jab to his throat but he missed, Naruto sidestepped without hesitation. Minato leaned to the side, dodging a fist and moved in closer, raising his knee but it was caught in the other boy's open palm and redirected. He stumbled but caught his own momentum by allowing himself to fall to the side, one leg swiping underneath the chunin. Naruto jumped over him, crouched down, placed his hands on the other boy's shoulders and used him to propel himself over him, pushing Minato into the ground before landing like a feline, silent and deadly.  
  
Naruto's mind was racing because Minato wasn't at the level of a typical Academy student. Honestly, he wasn't even at the average level of a  _damn genin_.   
  
What the **hell**  did they feed this kid? _Steroids?!_  
  
**_'He's the Yondaime of your time. He's bound to be good even now.'_** _the old fox mused,_ ** _'Are you worried you'll lose?'_** **  
**  
_Naruto mentally scowled, 'Of course I'm not worried I'll lose. But fa-Minato is way above the level of some random Academy student. Why is he even IN the Academy?'_  
  
**_'Beat's me. Maybe he can't read or something.'_**  
  
_'Yeah... I doubt that.'_  
  
**_'Get your head out of your ass. You've got a class to teach, not a spar to win. And you will lose if you don't focus.'_  ** _Kurama placed his large head on his paws._  
  
Kurama was right. He had work to do. He narrowed his brows slightly, taking in everything he saw and started to pick it apart like he was so good at. He might not be the brightest in the world, but he could fight, and combat was his domain, no matter what type of combat it was. If something had a weakness, he'd find it, and he would exploit it. If something had a particular strength, then he'd find it, exploit it and empower it.   
  
"You're fast, Namikaze-san." Naruto finally said, "You're precise but somewhat predictable. But your speed makes up for it because even if they can predict where you'll be next, they won't be able to do anything against you if they can't keep up with you. Speed is your greatest ally. You will never be the strongest physically," he used his open palm and slammed it into the boy's chest, throwing him back a couple of meters and putting distance between them. "But you don't have to be."  
  
Minato panted, using the back of his hand to wipe away the sweat from his forehead. His heart thundered in his chest, adrenaline spiking and mind registering and filing away everything the other boy said. He nodded, his mind entirely focused on the spar and absorbing what he could. He charged again, his previous nerves completely gone and replaced with terrifying focus.  
  
The two continued to spar, Naruto deflecting and blocking far more than he normally would have if he'd faced a typical Academy student. Which, by the looks of it, Minato  _definitely_  wasn't. If he tried he could easily defeat Minato but it wasn't a fair comparison and it also wasn't the purpose of the spar. Naruto had decades of experience and Minato didn't. _Not yet_. Naruto would make sure that he did but for now, he'd try to push him in the direction he knew would suit Minato. They may not be a family anymore, not really, but Naruto still cared. He didn't want him to die prematurely and he sure as hell wasn't going to allow the lack of Kushina to stop him from becoming a renowned seal master. He was still his hero even if Minato was a mere shadow of the man he turned out to be in his time.  _His_  father.  
  
"Alright, let's pick it up a notch." Naruto reached into his back pouch and threw a handful of kunai and shuriken towards him.   
  
Instinct made Minato reach for a kunai of his own, quickly deflecting the incoming projectiles. He only scarcely noted that they weren't blunted like the instructors frequently used so they wouldn't hurt them. If he didn't block them all, then he'd get injured by them. But instead of fear, he felt bubbling excitement. This was as real of a fight he'd ever had.   
  
This feeling, this  _exact_  feeling was what he desired. The  **thrill** of combat.   
  
"You've got your taijutsu down but what about ninjutsu? Can you use it in combat?" Naruto mused aloud. The boy pulled out another set of kunai and shuriken, tossing them at Minato who managed to avoid them all. Not flawlessly but well enough not to get skewered by them.   
  
The time traveller quietly hummed. He had an idea. Maybe it would be a bit over-kill, but Minato was better than his classmates. If he didn't end up hurting him with his following move, then he'd seen enough to assess what skill-level Minato had properly.  
  
Naruto smirked. He was probably going to hell anyway so what did he have to lose?  
  
"Still waiting for that ninjutsu Namikaze-san." he taunted mildly.  
  
Minato  _did_  plan to use ninjutsu, but it was a  _taijutsu spar_ , along with weapons, but there was simply no  _need_  for ninjutsu right now. So what was he-  
  
Something in the back of his mind screamed for him to move.  **Move,**  before he got impaled by something heading straight for him.. _in four different directions_.   
  
Everything slowed down, the sound of his own heart throbbing in his ears as he moved his hands together in  _tiger-boar-ox-dog-snake_ and  **vanished**...  
  
The four kunai Naruto's clones threw at the blond clashed and fell to the ground with a muted thud.   
  
Silence followed as the students held their breaths while Shikaku's eyes widened just a little bit more in utter bewilderment. He wasn't sure who was the crazier one; Naruto for the obvious intent to injure Minato or Minato himself for moving so quickly through hand signs and  _escaping_  it.   
  
"Good job Namikaze-san." Naruto looked over his shoulder and towards the treeline of the yard. He'd subbed himself with a large fallen tree branch just in time. "Nice choice of technique. But I was expecting you to use one of the kunai to Kawarimi with. Perhaps it's still too small for you but if you'd used the kunai instead you may have been able to finish the fight and come out a victor."  _Not very likely_  but the boy deserved praise for his spar regardless.   
  
Minato's breath was heavy; his chakra reserves nearly spent after accidentally using too much chakra for the substitution technique. He wouldn't say he panicked, but he didn't have enough time to regulate how much he needed. But he'd gotten away from a situation that would have been decisive for anyone else in his class. For that, he was proud of himself.  
  
At the praise a bright and genuine smile spread across his lips, eyes practically sparkling.  
  
_That was amazing!_ He mentally exclaimed.   
  
"Thank you Uzumaki-sensei!" he stood back up, let out a lung of air and bowed, "I'll make sure to learn how to use the Kawarimi technique with smaller objects!"  
  
Naruto nodded, gesturing for Minato to get back in line before he turned to the students, "Don't look so surprised." he mused at their mildly horrified expressions, "I did say to come at me with the intent to kill." his smile turned a tad bit wicked, "What makes you think I wouldn't do the same to you?"  
  
He noted with glee the way they swallowed audibly and the sudden fear that rolled off them. It sure was convenient to be a Jinchuuriki to Kurama who could feel negative emotions like a scent.   
  
The moment Minato took his place beside Shikaku the Nara took hold of his elbow, "Are you alright?" he whispered, worry evident in his voice.   
  
Minato blinked, confused and then he grinned widely, " _That was awesome!_ " he whispered back, exhilarated, "He pushed me to see how far I could go. But don't worry," he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder in comfort, "Those are shadow-clones Shikaku. If the kunai was about to hit me, I'm sure he would have dispelled his clones and then they would have disappeared too. I wasn't in danger." _Actually,_ Naruto wouldn't have, but Minato nor Shikaku knew that. Probably for the best as well.  
  
"What did Namikaze Minato do wrong?" Naruto asked. Nobody answered, but to the surprise of the class, it was Minato himself who raised his hand.  
  
"I used too much chakra on the Kawarimi. I didn't take advantage of the technique to its fullest. If I had, I would have used that technique and subbed with something close by to engage you in combat quickly afterwards." he looked thoughtful, scratched his chin and then looked up at the blond who nodded for him to continue with an encouraging smile. Minato returned it a little shyly, "I also didn't expect you to trap me and use your clones because you never did in the other fights. I expected you to treat me the same, but you didn't, and that was my fault."  
  
Naruto's smile turned into a grin and he gave the boy a thumbs up, "Exactly. Never expect your opponent to treat you like everyone else. Always assume the worst and then you'll never be caught with your pants down. Next, what can Namikaze-san improve?"  
  
Hizashi raised his hand this time, "Flexibility. If you're more flexible and nimble, you can utilise your muscles better and in Minato's case; his speed. He'd become even faster."  
  
"Agreed." Naruto nodded, "Anything else?"  
  
Minato filed away the suggestion and put it on his to-do-list.   
  
Hiashi sighed and raised his hand, too tired to be irritated anymore, "Even if he's fast he needs to focus on strength as well, or his hits will be nothing better than a slap from a wet noodle." The class laughed, even Minato and Naruto while the latter also agreed with a nod.  
  
"Indeed. Speed is a great thing to have, but if you neglect your strength-training you'll get swatted away like a fly, so don't forget to keep up with that aspect of your training as well." The other blond boy nodded sharply, fully intent to take the advice to heart, "Lastly, what does he excel at?"  
  
" **Speed,** " everyone chorused and Minato smiled sheepishly. Everyone had gotten their ass handed to them at some point.   
  
"Speed. That one is obvious. But what  _isn't_ obvious?" he waited for a moment before continuing, "Namikaze-san's sense of awareness is excellent. He noticed not just one, but all  _four_ of the clone's kunai heading straight for him. That's why he didn't just step to the side or duck. Environmental awareness can save your life." he turned to face the boy in question. A small blush dusting the student's cheeks at the praise so blatantly directed towards him, "You're smart. I can tell just from the way you looked at me during our spar. You analyze and break down techniques in search of weaknesses and in an effort to understand what you're up against. That's a talent few people have and one that's difficult to teach. One could almost say you have a small and natural aspect of the Sharingan inside of you. Use that to your advantage at all times. Trust your instincts."  
  
Minato preened under his praise, completely missing the small scowl on the Uchiha heirs face at the mention of his Kekkei Genkai.   
  
Not that Naruto gave a shit. He was well-versed with how the blasted doujutsu worked. A little too well if you asked him. He'd seen the damn thing enough times to want to spit in its general direction whenever someone showed up with it. It didn't help that every single one he'd met with a Sharingan(except Kakashi) was a damn ache in the balls to deal with.  _Although_  Kakashi could be like that as well sometimes. He never did manage to get over that damn habit of running late.  
  
But Naruto didn't have time to think about that anymore. Time ticked.  
  
"Nara Shikaku," he called. 

Dread returned to the Nara. He'd been so occupied with Minato and the others' spar that he'd forgotten that he would have to do it as well. Like,  _now._  
  
"What a drag..." he whined, steps heavy against the dirt of the yard until he inevitably reached his position in front of Naruto. "Do I have to?"  
  
The blond boy shrugged, "Well, I'm going to attack you either way, so it's up to you if you want to take my fist in the face or dodge it." Shikaku grimaced at the idea, "But if you ask me-" Naruto smiled sweetly, "Missing your front teeth isn't going to give you any brownie-point with the girls."  
  
"Would it help if I said I don't care about that kind of stuff?" he asked in a feeble attempt to get out of the spar.   
  
It didn't work.  
  
" _If_  you want to get a wife in the future, would you rather be with- or without teeth? Current opinion notwithstanding."  
  
Shikaku grumbled and sighed yet again, " _Fine._  But I'm not good with taijutsu."  
  
That didn't bother Naruto. He was used to the way Nara's acted on- and off duty, "Then show me what you're good at. Trick me, outsmart me."  
  
"That's troublesome," he admitted, but a small smile stretched on to his face. He could work with that.  
  
Naruto smiled, "Life is troublesome in general. All you have to do is find the least troublesome path to walk."  
  
Now that was words Shikaku could live by. Preach!  
  
"Alright. Let's get this over with."  
  
Shikaku moved in, exchanged a few blows and then jumped back again. His eyes were assessing the situation. Naruto's strength was overwhelming, and against his own, he'd fall over before he even realised he had an opponent in the first place. There was only one way he could handle something like that. He made four regular clones, all of them moved into a cluster before running out in opposite directions.   
  
In an instant, Shikaku was gone.  
  
Minato sweat-dropped along with everyone else from his class. Naruto chuckled, "Leave it to the Nara to find the ideal solution for a problem."  
  
Meanwhile, Kurama was laughing his ass off.   
  
Thanks to being a sensor he could feel Shikaku hiding behind one of the trees on the opposite side of the yard.   
  
" _That,_ " Naruto pointed towards Shikaku, mirth in his eyes as they roamed over the class, "Is what you call a  _tactical retreat_. He knew he couldn't win and that he wasn't strong enough to beat me or deliver any note-worthy damage. Because of that, he didn't try but instead retreated." He couldn't quite suppress a humorous smile when Shikaku walked back towards the line with more dignity than he should be allowed. "A good tactic and praise-worthy if it wasn't for the fact that this is a taijutsu class and you didn't show any of your taijutsu."  
  
"What can I say, Uzumaki-sensei?" Nara shoved his hands into his pockets, "I'd be a smear on the ground if I went up against you. The Nara aren't close-combat shinobi. My taijutsu sucks."  
  
"Agreed. But what happens if you're forced in to close combat and your teammates are already dead, or you're simply alone? Will you just lay down and die?" the black-haired boy didn't say anything but rather adopted a thoughtful look, "Always have something to fall back on." Naruto paced up and down the yard, "If you're not good at close combat then pick up a long-range weapon. If you're a close-combat type, then learn something that will bridge the gap between you and your opponent. In your case Nara-san I suggest you make your own taijutsu style suited to your needs and pick up fuinjutsu. You're not the fastest, the strongest or the one with the most endurance- but you _are_  the smartest."  
  
"Fuinjutsu?" he repeated, brows raised in surprise.  
  
Naruto nodded, "Fuinjutsu. The art of Sealing. You're not physically strong but you're capable of being a menace on the field regardless. Your strategic and tactical mind is second to none. Your ability to utilize your teammate's abilities and form plans are invaluable.  If you add the art of fuinjutsu onto your arsenal then you'll not be a menace," he faced the boy, a smirk on his lips, "You'll be a  **bloody pain in the ass**. Imagine setting up a simple ambush and adding in a well-drawn and placed seal for chakra drainage. After that, it's a simple case of luring them in, wait, and then walk up to your enemy and cutting their throats." he tapped his temple, "Think outside the box. You have your clan techniques but you can stuff in more things in here. Don't limit yourself- especially with a mind such as yours."  
  
That was.. surprisingly appealing, Shikaku thought. "I'll keep it in mind Uzumaki-sensei."  
  
"That's all I ask."

 

* * *

  
  
  
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Hiruzen sat in his office, each on a chair of their own and watched a crystal ball on the Hokages desk. The reason for it was simple; Jiraiya won a bet against Tsunade, and now she had to keep him company as the man watched his son teach a bunch of snotty brats.   
  
Hiruzen was simply lucky enough to overhear the entire thing and offered to watch it with them on the crystal ball in his office. He was curious himself.  
  
They'd all gotten more than they'd expected. Hiruzen especially. " _'Special'_  isn't the word I'd use for Naruto-kun, Jiraiya." the Hokage finally spoke, utterly dumbstruck, "I've never seen a child talk like this, much less  _think_  like this."  
  
"Imagine  _my_ surprise." Jiraiya chuckled, "One moment he acts his age and the next you feel like your roles have been reversed. His outlook on life is pretty unique."  
  
"No kidding." Tsunade snorted, "Just look at him!" the boy was currently lecturing the Hyuuga heir, "Nobody inside of this village would have the balls to tell a Hyuuga they sucked. Much less the heir to the damn clan. Is he even aware who he's talking to?"  
  
"Oh, he's aware." The toad Sage smirked, "He just doesn't give a toss. It wouldn't surprise me if he spoke to a foreign Kage like that if the opportunity arose. Naruto can be a real knucklehead, but then there are times when he's completely unpredictable. When you think you know what he'll do he throws you for a loop and leaves you wondering what the  _hell_  just happened."  
  
Hiruzen felt a smile stretch across his lips. He could see that as well. "You've found a real gem, Jiraiya."   
  
"I know."  
  
They continued to watch.  
  
"Oh," the medic blinked, "I've heard about that kid. He's some kind of genius, right?" another blond boy now stood opposite Naruto.  
  
"Namikaze Minato." Hiruzen nodded, "He's an orphan from a civilian family. His parents died shortly after he was born and was taken in by his uncle who was a jounin. The man died when Minato-kun was two years old and then he spent his remaining childhood in an orphanage in the eastern part of the village. The boy is a prodigy." he explained, "Minato-kun has the highest score ever recorded in the Academy. He would have graduated already if he didn't insist on completing the entire curriculum and make friends with children his own age."  
  
"He's got better results than Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked incredulously.  
  
"Miles ahead." the man confirmed, "He's at the top of every single class he takes. Doesn't have a single disciplinary action taken against him over the course of four years and he also assists the instructors in a variety of subjects. They've taken to giving him extra work to offer him a better challenge and as extra curriculum activities."  
  
"He's graduating with the upcoming bunch?" Jiraiya asked.   
  
The Hokage nodded, a knowing glint in his eye, "Are you interested?"  
  
"Very." he admitted, "I'm going to talk to Naruto after he's done for the day. I want to hear his opinion on who he thinks would work well in a team with him. I'm not going to waste my time on cannon fodder." It sounded harsh, but even Hiruzen realised that it was a waste of time and resources to place an- average at best- student under his tutelage. Jiraiya was a shinobi of the top tier and should, therefore, teach children with the same potential. Naruto was also such a child and would need teammates to compliment him.   
  
"Do you think Minato-kun and Naruto-kun would work well together?"  
  
"I believe so. I'm more worried about the third kid. So far I'm not impressed by these runts, and I refuse to take on heirs or other snotty clan brats." he frowned, "Worst case scenario it'll have to be the two of them alone. Naruto is practically a jounin anyway and judging by this," he pointed at the crystal ball where Minato's fight was just wrapping up, "Minato isn't far from chunin already."  
  
"I don't think it's a bad idea." The blond woman admitted, "If you put a newly minted genin with those two it's going to be hell to balance their training. It might just be best if you keep them as a pair and temporarily put Minato in another when the chunin exams come around."  
  
The Hokage hummed thoughtfully. It didn't sound like such a bad idea. Not ideal since he wanted Jiraiya to take on three students but it wasn't the worst case scenario of no students at all. Perhaps, although only this time, he could allow some leeway?  
  
"You have my permission if you don't find a third student that suits your team."  
  
Jiraiya grinned, "Thanks, sensei."  
  
Little did Hiruzen and Tsunade know that Jiraiya never intended to take on a third student from the very beginning.  
  
_He was sneaky like that._  
  


* * *

  
  
  
It was sad. It really was. No matter the era, no matter the time or generation... The Aburame clan was never on anyone's mind. Nobody cared, nobody remembered them and so it would remain.   
  
The boy placed his hand on the window of his empty classroom. His sad and tear-filled eyes hidden behind his dark glasses. The glass was cold underneath his skin, just as his soul was growing to be.   
  
Aburame Shibi watched the boys of his class spar against the child-prodigy Uzumaki Naruto. They were laughing, having fun.. and nobody remembered him.   
  
One day, he thought, one day he'd make them remember. Make them regret ever forgetting about him in the first place.   
  
But until then, "Perhaps their parents are all cousins?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shibi.. you won't be forgotten... at least not right now. I can't promise I'll remember you but I'll make an Omake of your life if you slip my mind again. 
> 
> Rip you and your beautiful Kikaichu. 
> 
> You might be remembered. *Prays*
> 
> *Places a note on the side of my screen... highlights it just to be sure*


	16. Silence is Gold

"Uchiha Fugaku."

The boy took his position quietly, eyes fixed on the blond and a small frown on his face. But he always had a frown on his face. Uchihas was heritably grumpy it would seem.

Broody bastards.

"Same thing yadda yadda start!" Naruto waved his hand around and rolled his eyes.

He knew it wasn't fair to compare Fugaku to every single Uchiha he'd encountered in his life, but the man he'd become  _was_  responsible for some of their behaviour. If he wasn't such a stick in the mud, he might have _shown_  that he loved his sons and not settled on training little soldiers and expecting them to turn out sane. Because  **damn** , they sure as  _hell_  didn't. The Uchiha sure dropped the marble on that one. Epic failure in child rearing. One for the books.

Fugaku launched himself forward, fist pulled back, and when he got close enough, it shot forward. Naruto redirected it easily enough, but after a few minutes, something gnawed at the back of the blond's mind.

It took another minute or so before he realised why he'd suddenly been hit with a wave of deja vu; Sasuke's taijutsu was the same. For all his messed up ideology, his former teammate stuck to everything Uchiha like it was religious. The taijutsu style he'd learned from his parents was the style he kept all through his life. It was also the same style Fugaku was currently using. The same style with the same weaknesses and loopholes.

"You wait too long before you strike. Don't wait for attacks that haven't come yet." Naruto advised. A common problem Sasuke had before he got his Sharingan was that his taijutsu style was performed with having the Sharingan in mind. So if you didn't have your Sharingan yet, it wasn't a complete and fully functioning style. Sure, you could beat the shit out of people with it but if you went up against someone with taijutsu knowledge- they would hand you your ass.

Fugaku's frown deepened, his attacks becoming quicker but not quite fast enough. He needed a diversion to take Naruto by surprise so he could close in and land a hit. He jumped back and brought his hands together;  _Tiger-ram-monkey-boar-horse-tiger._

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air and mingling it with chakra and then he breathed it out- right before it could burn him.  _"Fire style: Great Fireball!"_ A large sphere of fire roared towards the blond whose eyes betrayed nothing. If Naruto was surprised or impressed, he didn't show it.

In reality, the boy was growing irritated. Why? Two reasons.

One; apparently all Uchiha members were pyromaniacs. Sasuke's default offensive jutsu was always the Great Fireball. It was predictable. He knew it held some special sentiment inside the clan but it was a dangerous technique to use when you were still in the academy. It was a basic elemental nature transformation technique that most shinobi didn't start dabbling in until they reached chunin. It was like that for a very good reason. If you didn't have enough chakra control you could accidentally suck in the chakra enforced fire and turn your entire insides to barbeque. You'd essentially burn yourself alive. And it didn't look  _or_  smell as nice as it sounded.

Two; Fugaku was impatient just like Sasuke. The two of them were practically clones in their fighting style, and that unnerved Naruto. He could separate the two from each other well enough, but it didn't sit well with him. If there was one person in the world Naruto never wanted to encounter again- it was Sasuke. Once, they may have been the best of friends but so had Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara- and look where that got them. No, he wasn't going to meddle or surround himself with anyone from the Uchiha clan this time around. Perhaps he could do it in the future, but right now there was too much bad blood and haunting memories.

Naruto crouched down, dodging a swing of the boy's hand and in return softly struck him right in the solar plexus. Fugaku instantly doubled over and groaned. It wasn't a hard hit, quite harmless but in that particular location if you hit hard enough, could knock someone out.

He waited a moment to see if the boy was alright. He was, standing up with a slight cringe but nodded before he returned to the line. His diversion didn't work.

"You know the drill. What did Uchiha-san do wrong?"

Shikaku raised his hand, "Like you said, his attacks appeared slower than they had to be. Like he was waiting and watching more than necessary." the Nara had never actually taken notice of it before but now that he did.. it was rather odd.

"Anything else?" Naruto asked but received no reply. "You're partially right Nara-san. Uchiha-san's  _attacks_ aren't slow, but it's that his reaction time is  _delayed._ " he turned to the boy in question. The black haired student said nothing, face entirely neutral aside from the usual frown.

"I've been around enough Uchiha to notice something kind of interesting about them." he mused aloud, "Your taijutsu is flawless." Fugaku couldn't help but smirk, " _If_  you have the Sharingan." the smirk instantly dropped and his frown turned into a scowl. That was an insult if he'd ever heard one and he wouldn't stand for it. He opened his mouth to retort but he didn't have enough time before Naruto continued,

"This is something the Uchiha shares with the Hyuuga." that made all the Hyuuga and Uchiha students glare. They didn't like being compared. Naruto didn't care, "You rely on your doujutsu. So let me ask you; What happens if you can't use your eyes anymore?" realization dawned for Shikaku and Minato. Everything revolved around their eyes, "What would happen if your opponent cut out your eyes and left you blind? What would be left of you? I'll tell you what would be left of you; a weak arsenal with incomplete techniques and a taijutsu style that's useless against any shinobi with the rank of chunin and above."

There was more than one mouth that fell open to that. Because that was frank; a little _too_ blunt.

"You have a style that's good, but you depend on the fact that you'll activate your doujutsu, unless you already have, to make it work. That's your biggest mistake." he explained and begun to pace back and forth again, hand gesturing between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha, "What if you never activate your doujutsu, what then? Uchiha-san, what do you have to fall back on if your eyes stop working?"

Fugaku swallowed, mind rushing to name all the techniques he could use without his eyes. His list of techniques came out alarmingly short and if his taijutsu was just another thing that needed his Sharingan... Well, he would be in serious trouble.

"Exactly." the blond boy nodded knowingly at the silence, "But there is one large difference between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. They see  _different_  things." he smirked at their deepened frowns, "The Byakugan can see our chakra to a much greater degree than the Sharingan, it has a 360-degree angle and can pinpoint all our three-hundred-and sixty-one tenketsu points. That's what their taijutsu- the Juuken style- focuses on. They cut off your chakra system and leaves you with nothing but your taijutsu. Unless they strike the tenketsu by your heart because then you'll just get a heart attack and die." he grinned as the Hyuuga smirked. Even some of the other students seemed surprised by that piece of information.

"Now the Sharingan is different. They focus on something else. Sure, they can see our chakra to some extent but nowhere near as clearly as the Byakugan. No, part of what makes the Sharingan special is the ability to give the user an extreme clarity in perception. I've seen Uchiha members read the smallest of muscle movements in their opponents, intercepting an attack before their opponents themselves have even made a move to execute it. Which is also why some people believe the Uchiha have the ability to see the future. They don't, but it's not far from it." Fugaku nodded in agreement to the boy's analysis, " he wasn't done, "Then there are the more obvious things; like copying techniques just like the name of the doujutsu describes and their excellent ability to perform genjutsu. But what I want to focus on is the perception portion of the Sharingan."

Fugaku furrowed his brows in thought. So far Naruto had been correct in his assessment of his Kekkei Genkai, "Because of your perceptive ability connected to your eyes, you wait longer and react slower than you should be if you don't use your doujutsu." The dark-haired boy's eyes widened, "You basically fight with a handicap all the time." Naruto explained and then smiled, "But there is a simple solution to that problem. Keep training your Sharingan-connected taijutsu but pick up another taijutsu style as well. Hone another style that will be the thing you fall back on when your eyes don't work for whatever reason it might be. The same goes for the Hyuuga."

Naruto stopped at the head of the lines again, "Remember;  _all_ Kekkei Genkai are **tools**. Tools can be broken and turn useless. We are not tools, we are  _shinobi_. Shinobi  _use_  tools. Tools enhance our natural abilities but we should never rely on them. Take me for example," he gestured to himself, "I have a Kekkei Genkai." he whipped out a kunai and slit his palm right open, earning a collective gasp from the students. Naruto didn't even wince, he only continued, "I heal quickly." He held up his palm, allowing the students to see how his wound was already stitching itself back together, "But because of that, should I get sloppy and enable people to cut me up anyway, Just because I heal?" Naruto shook his head, "Of course not. Here is another example; I have a sword," the boy drew Kusanagi and swirled it around expertly, "But I don't really need it. I can coat my hands with my nature element- wind, and cut someone's head clean off with my fingers. I use a sword because it's more comfortable, less messy and quite frankly, it looks cooler- but that's just me." Naruto grinned.

Minato and the rest of the students chuckled because it ****_did_ look cooler.

"I'm not telling you to stop using your clan techniques but what I am asking you to do is think about where you would be without them. What do you have to fall back on if the ability to use your techniques or Kekkei Genkai disappears? Always have a backup plan for your backup plan. Never show your opponent all you can do and keep people guessing. The Hyuuga's and the Uchiha's doujutsu is great- but it's not invincible and never let yourself believe that it is. That's foolish and arrogant. Such things get people killed."

It stung for the students of the clan's in question because they'd never heard someone from outside of their circle speak about their Kekkei Genkai like that before. But Naruto spoke with more logic than they'd expected and as such, they couldn't argue with him because he was right. His examples were also convincing enough.

Fugaku didn't want to admit it, but Naruto was right. If his current taijutsu relied so much on the Sharingan as he'd said then he needed something else to cover his weaknesses. He wasn't telling him to abandon his clan legacy but to help protect it through expanding his arsenal. That was something he could do.

"We've already talked about what you can improve but I wanted to add something there. Patience. You get easily frustrated when you don't get the results you want." Fugaku begrudgingly nodded in agreement. At this point, he didn't even care how his own father would react to him admitting his mistakes and faults so openly. Everyone, no matter what clan, had received a serious dress-down in this class. "Lastly, what do you excel at. I'd like to say you excel at nature transformations. That Fireball of yours was flawless. A good tactic as well. But mostly I think that your best skill is your commitment and your dedication. When you want something you work hard until you achieve it and that fire technique is proof of that. Elemental techniques are difficult to learn and normally it's only chunin and above who dabble in those things. It's dangerous stuff."

He clapped his hands, "Alright, who's next?"

 

* * *

 

Minato marvelled at the sight of Naruto and Inoichi sparring. The way Naruto would stand so confidently in front of all his opponents, the certainty in his movements and his eyes, it made chills run down his body.

But he didn't want to stand on the sidelines anymore. He wanted to be the one sparring, the one Naruto praised, and the one Naruto paid attention to.

It was selfish, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Naruto was like him, an orphan and talented. Perhaps they would understand each other better, unlike the others? Minato's loved his friends but nobody knew him quite like Shikaku and Naruto, or so he believed at least.

Minato bit his bottom lip, watching Inoichi stumble and fall. Would Naruto want to be his friend if he asked him? Would he talk to him and maybe train together?

There were so many uncertainties and Minato wasn't confident in the outcome. Not enough to pursue it. Which was strange because he wasn't really shy or scared of interacting with people.

It was just Naruto..  _always_ Naruto.

Why did he feel so uncertain? So scared of rejection?

It didn't make any sense.

But he'd felt it. During their spar. He'd felt something falling in to place. A part of himself that he didn't even know he missed. Naruto had been the reason for that feeling, he just  _knew_  it. Minato wanted to experience it again, relive it and feel the same thing over and over again.

Their spar was already his most precious memory, and every time he let his mind wander, and it landed on the newly acquired treasure he found himself smiling. Almost blushing from how happy it made him.

Why was Naruto so important to him? They had never talked privately, only professionally, and it wasn't more than a few sentences.

Yet.. _they were so precious_.

Naturally, he remembers every single word he'd said and every action he'd taken. Even the feeling of their punches- which hurt a bit more than Minato allowed himself to admit.

Minato snapped out of his minor trance when Shikaku elbowed him in the ribs. The boy winced and blinked, sending a questioning look at his friend who rolled his eyes with exasperation and a sigh.

"You're not exactly subtle." He murmured.

Confused, the boy tilted his head to the side, "What do you mean?"

"I  _mean_ ," Shikaku deadpanned, "That your eyes are  _sparkling_ , you nod in agreement to everything he says and practically  _absorbs_  everything he does... You even take half a step forward whenever someone gets close to landing a hit on him. I swear, if I didn't hold on to your hoodie you would be sitting in his lap right now."

Minato lifted his arm and looked down at his ribs, noting that Shikaku did, in fact, hold onto his hoodie and preventing him from moving forward.

Embarrassed the blond blushes brightly, "I'm sorry."

"Mind telling me why you're so worried about him all of a sudden?" He smirked.

"I'm not worried," his fingers begun to turn a little sweaty, "I just- I'm just paying attention."

"Uh-huh."

"Really!" He fixed his eyes on the two blonds again, they kept exchanging blows, but Inoichi was quickly tiring. He wasn't a combat shinobi. His skills would be better suited at the TI department.

"Looks to me like you have a crush on him," Shikaku said simply, savouring the sudden hitch of the blonds breath and the way he took a startled step away from him.

"I do not!" He hissed back, looking scandalised.

"Probably." Shikaku could admit, "We're only ten. But give it a few years. I'm sure the feeling will kick in."

" _Shikaku!_ "

The boy smirked, all too satisfied after riling up his friend and ruffling his feathers. But he needed to relax a little. Minato looked too focused even for him, and that freaked him out a bit.

"I don't like boys." Minato frowned, but it didn't sound compelling, "I don't think.."

"What does it matter? You like people for their personality and how they make you feel, not what gender they are."

"Why are we talking about this?"

"Because it makes you blush and Naruto's looking at us." Shikaku looked away, feigning innocence.

"What-" Minato's eyes widened, his head snapping towards the blond boy who raised a single eyebrow, a less than pleased look on his face.

Minato's face  **burned** in embarrassed mortification.

"Care to share with the class?" Naruto asked pointedly.

"We were talking about Minato's preference to close combat versus support. We concluded that he likes attention too much to be any good at anything else but fighting on the front. He looks a bit like a girl too so he could trick people into believing he is one and use it against his opponent, Uzumaki-sensei." Shikaku explained, completely serious.

Meanwhile, Minato wanted to  **DIE**. He wouldn't mind if the ground opened up and swallowed him or if someone came along and cut him down.  _Why, why, **Why!?**_

Naruto looked at the boys, one of them looking entirely too pleased with himself even if he tried to appear completely sober. The other was obviously on the receiving end of the Nara's less than truthful words, and he also looked like he was going to pass out from gathering too much blood in his face.

"I don't believe a word of that," Naruto said flatly, "That's bullshit if I've ever heard any."

 _Kurama laughed,_ **_'They have a long way to go until they catch up to our level.'_ **

_'So true. But I guess I finally understand why Iruka-sensei got so pissed when I talked in class. It's really annoying.'_

**_'Cut them some slack. The Nara obviously planned the whole thing to get chibi Yondaime in trouble.'_ **

_He sighed, 'Fine.'_

"Pay attention."   
  
"We're sorry!" Minato placed a hand on the back of the Nara's head and pressed it down in a deep bow along with himself, Nara lost his balance, stumbled, and face-planted in the ground.   
  
The entire class burst out laughing, much to the two boys growing embarrassment. Shikaku's plan backfired, and now he was part of the joke.  
  
_Damnit._  
  
Minato still just wanted to die in a ditch somewhere.  
  
"Alright," Naruto cleared his throat. It was getting a bit sore after all the damn talking he'd done, "Let's wrap this up for today. I want you all to think about what we've talked about today. Look at your weaknesses, your strengths and what you can do to improve them. At the end of the day, I'll find you in your classroom and give you a schedule that I want you to follow until you graduate. That's  _two months_. Work hard on it and if you do you'll be rewarded for it. No jounin instructor tasked to take on freshly minted genin will want anything to do with you if you can't even hold your own for more than a minute. You have to take initiative to grow stronger, you need to want it more than anything otherwise you might as well quit."  
  
Again nobody said anything, eyes glued to Naruto as they took the advice to heart.   
  
"Dismissed."   
  
The group scattered, Minato following slowly behind but then stopped. He wanted to apologise; it was never his intention to lose focus and disrupt the class. Minato turned around but found that Naruto wasn't there anymore.  
  
Regret pooled in his stomach.

* * *

  
  
  
Naruto slumped down by a desk in the staff-room scarcely noting that more and more instructors begun to file in. He didn't care all that much, and instead, he reached for a notebook, took hold of a pen and started writing down everything he'd seen and learned.   
  
He'd bossed around enough shinobi and written enough schedules and training regimes to put together a good routine for the kids to follow. At least it was something he was confident in. Being a former Hokage had its uses at times.   
  
Taketa came into the staff-room cackling madly. "Let's see them revert to fan-girl-ism after  _that!_  I'll bet you anything that half of them will quit before graduation."  
  
"Isn't that a bad thing?" Naruto asked, head in his notebook. "I thought the plan was to prepare them for graduation, not scare them away from it."  
  
The man shrugged and flicked his wrist in dismissal, "If they can't even keep up with atraining session like that so close to graduation then they don't deserve to graduate anyway."  
  
Naruto had to take hold of the book and move it off the desk when Taketa took a seat on it, crossing his legs and grinning, "How'd it go on your end? Did you beat them senseless?"  
  
"I wish." he sighed, "I did a one on one spar, gave them some much-needed advice about the profession and brought them down a few pegs. I'm giving them training regimes for the next two months as well. Hopefully, they won't suck terribly once they get their headbands."  
  
Taketa raised a surprised brow, "I thought you would run them ragged."  
  
Naruto smirked, "Well, it's just the first day. I need to make them listen to me and trust that I know what's best for them. _Then_  I can destroy them with their blessing. It's much more fun that way."  
  
"Oooh, you're evil." he grinned.   
  
"I know."   


* * *

 

The boys returned to their classroom in rather good spirits, even Minato despite the missed opportunity. He'd simply have to apologise when Naruto came by at the end of the day.   
  
The sight that greeted them was something none of them could find suitable words for. The girl's clothes were torn, dirty, smelled and they themselves looked like they'd wrestled with  **bears**.   
  
"What happened to you?" Inoichi found himself asking without thinking. His eyebrows were touching his hairline.  
  
" _Did you say something?_ " A familiar Inuzuka growled as the red triangle markings on her cheeks let the boys now that it was Inuzuka Tsume that they'd managed to piss off. Inoichi swallowed audibly. Tsume was crazy, and the new look she sported didn't help to convince them otherwise. She looked positively  _rabid_.   
  
"What did Shimpei-sensei do with you?" Fugaku walked up to his fianceé, Uchiha Mikoto. Even she looked liked she'd met the wrong end of a storm and barely made it out alive.  
  
"He made us run five times around the village. Then he took us to the forest of death to test our survival skills." she spoke, voice quivering and her face twisted into a disgusted grimace, "He made the animals **chase** us.  _Tigers_  Fugaku-san!"  
  
"And then the bastard threw us in the _damn river_ and made us crawl through animal dens to find  _safe shelters_ ," Tsume growled, eyes glowing with promised murder. "There was _dead_ things in there."  
  
The girls nodded, tears gathering in their eyes, "What did you guys do Fugaku-san?" Mikoto's gentle and emotionally fragile voice asked.   
  
The boys swallowed, looked at the ceiling and tried to think of something to say.  
  
"We," the Uchiha heir straightened his back and spoke with as much dignity as he could muster, "Fought. "  
  
"Tough battles." one of the civilians piped up.   
  
"Super intense." another nodded and earned a round of agreement from the others.   
  
A screeching chair caught their attention, and the group looked to the back of the class. There stood Aburame Shibi with his hands in his pockets, "No, you didn't." he disagreed in his usual monotone, "You stood in line, sparred for five minutes and received advice about being a shinobi."  
  
Nobody said anything.  
  
It was so quiet you could hear a senbon dropping.   
  
Mikoto turned to her fiance and  **smiled.  
**

* * *

  
  
  
Shibi sat back down. Enjoying the sound of screaming and running feet.  
  
_It was music to his ears._  


	17. Medicine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little bit shorter than normal, hope you don't mind!~

Jiraiya left the Hokage's office in good spirits. He was proud of Naruto for making a name for himself, and without having to work so damn hard for it like he would have had to do in his own time. Finally, Naruto had a fair chance at life. Perhaps it wouldn't be quite the same, it  _couldn't_  be, but it was close enough.

His childhood would always be lost to the waves of time because he wasn't a child. He didn't have the mind of a small boy but a man who'd seen far too much. Naruto would never be able to experience how it was to play with kids in the park and be treated like anyone else his age.

Instead, he was destined to be different once more. It wouldn't be as bad this time, he was pretty sure about that, but Jiraiya wondered about one particular thing; Did Naruto feel as trapped inside his small body as Jiraiya did in his younger one?

It was a gradual thing, a slow process, but he'd noticed it more and more lately. His mind was too developed, too old for his body. It wasn't a physical difference but a mental one. A spiritual difference that set them apart from everyone else. It almost felt like he wore a pair of shoes that sat a little too tight. Not quite fitting.

Jiraiya could only pray that it was something that would change with time. Going back in time forced him to go back into a body that already existed, but for Naruto it was different. He didn't exist at this time- at least he wasn't supposed to. It was possible that he didn't feel any of the changes Jiraiya did for that sole reason.

The Toad Sage entered the academy, thankful that the kids were in their classrooms. The corridors were smaller than he remembered, or perhaps he was just bigger, but regardless he found his way to the staff-room easily enough. Naruto's chakra was like a beacon to anyone that paid attention.

With his hand on the handle, he slid the door open, startling the shinobi inside and making the blond boy glance up from his desk. The boy instantly grimaced because there was no way that Jiraiya would drop by in the academy without reason. Any good reason he had often spelt a headache for Naruto.

"Great." The boy mumbled, "All I need is a Sannin gloating about my misfortune. It looks like I've ticked off all the boxes today."

The man grinned, ignored the random adults in the room and proceeded to head straight for his adoptive son whom he wanted to talk to.

"The old man and I watched your lesson." He said with mischief twinkling in his eyes, something Naruto  _definitely_  didn't like, "Hime was there too. You left quite the impression on them."

"Just tell me what you want." The boy said, resigned to the idea that his life was going to become more of a hassle after the man left the room.

"Touchy." He teased and received a glare, "I wanted your opinion on Namikaze. Think he's got what it takes?"

Naruto deadpanned, "I have no idea why he's still in the academy. From what I've seen he could have graduated already. The others tell me his academic results are just as good, if not  _better._ "

"Yup. He's got the highest scores in the academy history apparently."

"Perhaps, but I know for a fact that you're not here to talk about Namikaze because I know you're going to pick him regardless- so what's up?" He moved closer, making sure nobody else could hear him.

Jiraiya smirked. There was no tricking Naruto, "Fine. You know I always planned on taking on Minato again, but I wanted to know if you found anyone else that caught your eye. I've gotten permission to form whatever team I want but to be honest, going with just you and Minato might be for the best. It's going to be hard for anyone else to keep up with us."

The chunin hummed thoughtfully, "He won't be able to do the Chunin exams like last time."

"We can put him in a temporary team for that. I've played with the idea of making us a three-man-cell until you're all jounin. After that, it's free game for anyone. Not much we can do after that. I'm still in a three-way partnership with Hime and Orochi-teme. Those things are permanent."

That did make sense. No wonder he'd never seen him teamed with anyone else. "Right. Well, I haven't seen anyone interesting, and you're right- it might be for the best to just keep it the three of us. I'm not interested in building a carbon copy of team seven again. That team ended in epic failure in all generations that formed it."

The man grimaced and nodded, "No kidding. Then it's settled. I'll be handing in the papers to sensei to finalise it. Better do it now before I forget about it. I'd rather not escort another pompous bastard to Uzu if I can help it."

"Amen." Naruto cringed at the mere memory of The Little Shit and his father. Maybe he drowned back then? He never cared to find out. Pity.

"I'm off. See you later brat."

"Whatever Ero-sennin." But the smile on his lips told another story.

 

* * *

  


Naruto dropped a pile of papers on the desk in front of a class of Academy students. "You'll find your schedule here. They've got your name written on them. You know the drill."

The boy waited for anyone to speak up but nobody did, he nodded, allowed his eyes to travel over them one more time and then left the room. Judging by the screeching of wood and running feet he deduced that they were throwing themselves at the papers.

_Animals_.

Taketa still had some things to do before the end of the day; like writing down his testament and a written explanation he could leave behind to angry parents. People would be after his head when they found out what he made the girls do.

The whole thing was pretty funny.

As such Naruto decided to head for the hotdog stand first. Perhaps he could taste one of each and then feign innocence so Taketa would buy him everything again?

_Perfect_.

Naruto reached the street outside of the academy in just a few minutes. It was buzzing with life and activity. Unlike the mornings it was always crowded in the middle of the day. Shinobi came and went, civilians finished their school for the day, and some even managed to skip the last few hours of their jobs.

He was in a  _somewhat_ good mood. Even if he was reluctant to teach Academy students, it had turned out rather well. Perhaps he was on to something with this whole 'teaching'-thing?

But then there was Jiraiya's visit, and his mood would instantly turn darker. He already knew that he'd be on the same team as Minato, but now there wasn't any getting away from it. It made him nervous, almost a little scared because he didn't know Minato but he  _did_  know his fate. At least the fate in his previous life. Minato would rise to become the fastest man in the world, a brilliant Hokage, no matter how short his stay in office was, and also his renowned skills with fuinjutsu.

He'd weaselled in fuinjutsu studies in the boy's schedule, and if he knew anything about him by now, then it was that Minato worked hard. Just like he did. It was just another thing that connected them- proved that they were more than he allowed himself to let on. Sometimes it is hard to view him as a stranger because he wasn't, not really. The thought of treating that boy as his father made him cringe. His father  _died_  for him,  _fought_  for him and his village and then rose again and died once more. It felt so wrong to compare his Minato to this one.

They weren't the same...  _yet they were._  Well, Minato had the potential of becoming just as great- if not more so this time around.

In the back of his mind, Naruto was scared. The genin team from his time had been such a disaster. His best friend turned traitor, the love of his life that wouldn't spare him a single glance in favour of Sasuke and his teacher that only noticed him when everyone else was gone. Naruto was the last resort, the unwanted and least desired. Until people realised what he could really do.. but it was always bitter. Bitter knowing that you didn't really hold the same value until you proved yourself invaluable.

Don't get him wrong, Naruto missed Kakashi a lot. He missed the optimistic Lee, the shy Hinata, the reliable Neji, the brash Kiba, the quiet Shino, the lazy genius Shikamaru, the kind Chouji, Ino the firecracker, Tenten- ever the peace-maker and Sakura- their brilliant medic. And let's not forget Sai with his terrible people skills.

He even missed Sasuke in some convoluted way. Naruto missed the life he could have had if everything didn't go to complete shit.

Now he was alone, coming ever closer to getting a new team and it  _frightened_  him. There was so much betrayal, so much loss, and pain and now he was asked to open up to the potential for more.

Logically he knew that Minato wasn't Sasuke or Sakura. That Jiraiya wasn't Kakashi, but the damage was already done.

There was a reason he only ever had one team. The thought of losing another pulled at his heart and tore at his lungs. He didn't want to be the last one standing again.  _Never_  again.

What if he failed Minato too?

"Uzumaki-sensei!" Naruto sucked in a sharp breath, the familiar voice sending a chill down his spine along with his accompanying thoughts. The timing was **horrible.**

He looked over his shoulder, seeing Minato neatly jog around the various occupants of the street, lest he would run into them, and heading straight for him with a sheepish smile plastered on his face.

Despite it all, Naruto found himself smiling. Minato wasn't Sasuke or Sakura; it wasn't fair to compare him to them. Minato was Minato. Fear had already taken root and settled inside of him. It would most likely always be there. 

"No need to call me sensei out here, I'm younger than you," Naruto stated matter of factually, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants.

Minato smile grew a little wider, "Uzumaki-san then."

"Naruto is fine." The boy shook his head.

"Naruto-san." The blond's smile turned soft. Warmth was spreading in his chest at the request for familiarity rather than formality.

"Actually,  **just**  Naruto."

Minato sweat-dropped but added, "Then just Minato for me as well."

He gave a single nod of acceptance, "What can I do for you Minato?" Naruto turned around and begun walking again, the other boy matching his steps.

Minato was elated but eternally thankful that their previous spar had broken through the nervous barrier that prevents him from talking, "I wanted to apologise." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Naruto looked at him curiously, albeit a bit confused, "I didn't mean to lose focus in class."

Naruto chuckled, "Please. It doesn't take a genius to spot a Nara-plot gone right. Nara-san said something embarrassing and put you on the spot, didn't he?"

Minato blinked, surprised and yet again a little embarrassed because  _of course_  Naruto would notice, "He did." He admitted.

"Do I even want to know what it was?"

"It erm.. i-it was," he cleared his throat and looked to the side, " _If I liked boys or girls._ "

The silence lasted zero point two seconds.   
  
Kurama burst out laughing, slamming his giant paw against the ground while Naruto stared at the boy incredulously. Minato blushed, trying to forget about the entire thing since he didn't even know the answer himself.

"Tell Nara-san," Naruto smirked, "That the next time he should think up a more believable excuse. He needs practice at bullshitting people."

"Please don't encourage him!" Minato held up his hands instinctively, "I'm the one that has to live with the consequences."

"I'm always down for a good laugh." Naruto grinned, "You guys are pretty tame compared to me and the trouble I end up in."

"I remember." The young boy smiled, heart thundering in his chest at talking so freely to the blond. How did that even happen? "Matsuka-san wasn't very happy." He recalled.

"Ah, well, In my defence," the chibi Hokage spoke mildly, "That wasn't  _entirely_  my fault, and I was baited. Ero-sennin can be a bastard sometimes. You better get used to it."

The choice of words confused Minato, but he latched onto one particular part, "'Ero-sennin'?"

"It's what I call Jiraiya. He's a self-proclaimed super pervert, peeps on women in the hot springs and writes porn novels and does  _research_  in the Akasan." Naruto continued, enjoying Minato's scandalised expression, "His writing is  _super_  bad, and he makes me edit them because he's cheap. It really sucks." He grimaced, "It's best to look at him with disappointment and regret and pray he goes away before his idiocy spreads. I pretend I don't know him."

"But isn't he your father?" Minato asked gently, not sure if he should be laughing at the boys choice of words or feel pity for being stuck with the man.

"I'm adopted,  _thank_   ** _god_.** " Naruto visibly shivered and paled, "Can you imagine that guy getting a kid the usual way? He can't even take care of  _me_. And I'm pretty independent as it is."

"So you were an orphan too?" he inquired. There were only rumours to go by.  
  
Naruto couldn't quite tell if the sound of his voice was sad or hopeful so he turned to the boy, smiled and nodded.

"I never met them. I lived on the streets in Uzu for a while and spent my days training to become strong like the shinobi I kept seeing around the village. Because if I were that strong, then people would notice me, acknowledge me and maybe even like being around me."   
  
Minato's eyes widened. There was  _no way_  that people wouldn't want to be around Naruto!   
  
"I played a lot of pranks to get people's attention, even if it wasn't appreciated. It didn't matter. Bad attention was still attention. That's how I ran into Ero-sennin. He chased me across the entire village after I tipped the wooden fence between the hot spring pools. Fourteen women catching a single man peeping?" He smirked, "I've never seen someone run that fast in my  _life_. I thought it was kind of funny because he would always go back and do it again. So naturally, I tipped the fence again. The rest is history as they say."

It wasn't precisely a lie. It was close enough to the truth, and that  _had_  happened during their training trip when he was fourteen.

Minato marvelled at how easily Naruto could tell him something so personal, yet it only solidified his belief that Naruto was  _amazing_. His eyes softened. Was Naruto always so open and trusting? Or maybe it was just for him? Minato mentally scolded himself- _yeah, right._

"Don't know how we got into that." Naruto frowned thoughtfully but then shrugged, "Did you get a chance to look at your schedule yet?"

"I did!" Minato's eyes lit up, "Fuinjutsu?" It wasn't a subject he'd paid much attention to before this.

"You can do really cool things with fuinjutsu." Naruto mused aloud, "And it's best if you start learning it now instead of later. If you're going to be on our team with sealing masters you'll fall behind if you don't start early," he continued, not noticing the lack of companionship, "But it can be pretty- Minato?"

Minato stood completely immobile on the street, mouth partially open, eyes wide in disbelief and staring straight at the Uzumaki chunin who walked back to him, waved his hand in front of his face and-

"I'm going to be on your team?" He whispered in disbelief, shock wrapped around him like a thick blanket, "Really?  _Really_ , really...?"

Naruto didn't know what to do. He'd let it slip unintentionally, not really thinking, but Minato's reaction left him confused.

He looked so... vulnerable _._  Was he upset?

"Are you alright?" The chunin said slowly, concerned. 

"We're going to be teammates?" He spoke so softly Naruto barely heard him. The boy almost looked like he was going to cry. It worried him. He looked so fragile, "Who else is going to be in it?"

Naruto frowned and took a step forward, placed his hands on his shoulders and said gently, "Just us. Until we're both jounin."

"Really?" Minato whispered again, throat tightening. Was he joking? He couldn't be, _right?_

"Really."

"How do you know?"

"Ah... well, I've known for months now..." How was this important?

"You knew?" Minato's eyes grew wider, "You've known all along?"

A little apprehensive Naruto slowly nodded. It wasn't his intention to hurt him.   
  
"So that makes us teammates, right?" A careful smile slowly turned Minato's lips upwards.

"You still need your headband, Minato." Naruto carefully smiled back, not wanting to misunderstand if he really was upset.

"Of course.  _Of course_..." Minato stared down at his feet. This wasn't really happening, was it? "I... Are you _sure?_ "

"Positive." Naruto's smile grew a little bigger.

" _Why?_ "

The smile dropped, and Naruto blinked in confusion. "What do you mean  _'why'?_ "

"I'm just me. I'm nothing special." their eyes locked, the child desperately trying to understand and wrap his head around the mere _idea_  of someone singling him out.

"Minato," Naruto frowned and spoke seriously, "You could have graduated ages ago. Why are you even  _in_  the academy right now?"

"I-I wasn't sure-  _No_ ," He quickly corrected. He didn't want to lie, "I wanted to know  _everything_  before I left. I didn't want to miss anything. I wanted to be prepared."

"Do you know everything now?"

"Probably not. I don't think." Minato swallowed thickly. The sound of his heart throbbed in his ears, mind working so slowly and in such a numb way that he barely felt his mouth move to form words.

"Some things can only be learned from experience," Naruto explained, Minato latching on to his words like a strange lifeline, "And now you've got a team to help you learn more. Don't worry so much."  
  
"I can really be on your team?" Minato's eyes begun to turn misty, throat thick with emotion and fingers trembling a little. Not even five hours ago Minato had learned that your genin team was your family, your closest friends.. and now, suddenly, Naruto could be that person. His family.. his  _friend_. "I can be your friend?"  
  
Something tightened in Naruto's chest. The look in Minato's eyes wasn't entirely unfamiliar. Not quite the same but close enough to his own eyes from his childhood that he quickly connect the dots; Even if Minato didn't appear like it in school, he was lonely. Just as Naruto himself had been while growing up.  
  
_Orphans._  
  
In a way, they were all connected. Shared the same pain and longing for something permanent.   
  
At that moment Naruto saw himself. His younger self and the pain he'd gone through all alone. There'd never been anyone there to give him what he needed  _when_  he needed it. Which is why Naruto moved closer, the hands on Minato's shoulders sliding down slightly until they wrapped around the boy and Naruto held him close.   
  
"I can be your friend." Naruto whispered, "If you want me to."  
  
The older boy nodded, a tear rolling down his cheek as he hugged him back, "I want you to."

 

* * *

 

  
Minato walked alongside Naruto down the street, neither one of them speaking but hands locked together as he let the other boy pull him along.  
  
He didn't really understand what he was feeling in that moment. It was like something on his shoulders lifted, and he could breathe for the first time in as long as he could remember. A remote but cold place in his heart warmed as if spring had finally arrived after a long winter. Like a candle being lit in a dark and empty room. Minato's eyes moved to the back of the blond's head. Naruto was a little shorter than him, not a lot, but just enough to notice. But he was younger than him, so perhaps that was why.   
  
Still, he'd never seen anyone so bright before. Naruto's aura was like the sun. Even their joint hands were warm, and in turn, it made his entire arm burn pleasantly.   
  
Minato wasn't unhappy in the orphanage, not really. But it wasn't  _home_. It was so impersonal, cold and meaningless. His roommate didn't care for him, and he didn't have any friends there. They were civilians and didn't understand his burning passion for all things shinobi.   
  
But Naruto did.   
  
Naruto was like him. He understood the longing ache deep inside of him. The loneliness and gradual loss of hope. Thankfully, Minato had Shikaku and everyone else at the Academy, but it wasn't enough. Shikaku was close, but it just  _wasn't enough_. It didn't soothe the pain enough to ease the chill that clung to his bones.   
  
Now it was gone.   
  
Naruto, his  _friend_ , took his pain away and replaced it with something warm and bright;  
  
_Happiness._  
  
So much happiness, joy, and relief that he'd started to  _cry_  in the middle of the street.  
  
Was it possible that he'd unconsciously known all this time that Naruto would be able to help him? That Naruto would be the answer to a question, he didn't know to ask? He'd like to believe so because it made him really happy to think that.   
  
A small smile pulled at his lips, head hanging a little and eyes locked to his feet. He was so happy that if Naruto didn't hold his hand, then he might have lifted from the ground and floated away.   
  
His attention moved to their hands.   
  
_Their_  hands.   
  
Naruto and Minato. Minato and Naruto.   
  
He squeezed a little, making sure he didn't imagine it. Naruto pressed back, understanding exactly what Minato must be thinking.   
  
Naruto looked back, smiled knowingly and turned back around, pulling the boy along.  
  
"Let's be friends forever, ne?" Naruto suggested lightly, but there was a promise in his words. A bit of pain as well because the last time he'd promised that to someone Sasuke had almost ripped out his heart, literally. But Minato didn't know that. The boy thought it was just the same pain he'd felt all his life. Naruto didn't want him to know that it wasn't. Loneliness was only a lesser evil of the many pains of his life.   
  
Tears burned behind Minato's eyelids, he clutched his eyes closed, gave a single firm nod and squeezed the boys hand again, "Un!"  
  
That day would be remembered by the both of them as the day everything aligned, when fate finally smiled and when the world gave birth to a  _legend_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the feels ;_; <3


	18. Fear of flying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'd apologize for the late update but it really isn't all that late. I got a new computer so had to babysit it for the day~
> 
> Btw, incoming angst. Can't have a Time-travel fic without a little of that stuff as well. 
> 
> Emotions suck ;_;

"Where are we going Naruto?" Minato peered over his shoulder, hands still locked. His heart pounded so hard it almost ached, but his nerves were steadily disappearing in favour of warmth that soothed his soul. He didn't want to let go of Naruto's hand- not for anything in the world.

"Hot dog stand," Naruto said absently, the boy standing on his toes and looking around himself. The damn place is hard to find but he could have sworn it was around here! It didn't help that he couldn't see anything because of the people on the street. "Why do I have to be so damn short!?" He growled and grabbed hold of a random shinobi, "Where's the hot dog stand? I can't see anything down here!"

The shinobi, a man in his mid-twenties, brown hair, blue eyes and a crooked smile blinked a little confused at the sight. He then chuckled, "You're Jiraiya-sama's kid, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately." He agreed, and the man's smile grew even wider, "Fifty meters that way and to the right. Red parasol."

Naruto hummed and nodded, "Thanks, shinobi-san."

The man gave the two boys a casual wave of his hand and continued down the street, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

"Do you like hot dogs?" Minato asked curiously. He wanted to learn everything he could about his new friend and that seemed like a good place to start.

"Not more than regular food. But Taketa-san won't go to Ichiraku with me tomorrow if I don't give his favorite food an earnest try. And if I get there early I might be able to get double of everything." The blond boy explained but then growled, "If I can find the damn place. What kind of idiotic business puts their store in the middle of the market street?"

Minato sweat-dropped, "The smart ones?"

"I never liked smart people!" He declared firmly.

"Oh," he unconsciously slowed down but was quickly yanked forward when Naruto looked back at him,

"You're not smart." Minato's lips parted in disbelief. Was he calling him stupid? But the look in Naruto's eyes showed him that he'd missed something.

That wasn't- that was supposed to be a  _compliment,_ wasn't it?

Naruto grinned, "You're a  _genius_."

His heart jumped, "Does that make you a genius too?" Because he couldn't see the logic yet.

The boy snorted, "Hardly." He flicked his wrist to the side with a snap, "I've made my peace with the fact that I'm a knucklehead. The closest I'll ever get to genius is  _ingenious_. Did you know that if you run out of smoke-bombs against an Inuzuka, you can fart in their face and they'll get stunned like with an ordinary chilli-pepper bomb?"

" _You didn't!_ " Minato looked scandalized, hand covering the poorly hidden smile which was enough of a tell that he could barely keep himself from laughing.

"Not one of my best moments but it works. And I won that fight by the way." Smugness was coating his words. "I had a lot of ramen before that spar. And then I was punched in the stomach. I've never been that good at math, but I can figure that one out myself."

 _That wasn't embarrassing at all.._ but Minato was pretty sure life wouldn't get boring around Naruto if what he'd seen so far was any indicator.

"We only have one Inuzuka in my class. She's the heir of their clan." He said thoughtfully, "But she's kind of scary."

Naruto squinted his eyes in thought and then repeatedly blinked, "Inuzuka Tsume?"

"You know her?"

"No," he shook his head in negative, "But I've heard a little about her. Scary was in the description." Scary enough to scare away her future husband. Now if that wasn't messed up.. well. No wonder Kiba was so whipped by his mother. "But most Inuzuka are hot-tempered from what I've seen. But very reliable."

"Have you been on missions with them before?" He didn't know what real missions were like. Only the things he'd read in books but that didn't seem very reliable after Naruto's class.

"Here and there." He shrugged, "Met some in Uzu and around Konoha. Inuzuka is usually on the track- and scouting division. That's not my speciality. I wouldn't normally be paired up with them because we take different missions from each other."

That made sense. But that left the question, "What division are you in?"

Naruto smirked, "I'm in the short-to mid-range battle division. The first line of defence basically."

Minato fell silent, mind wandering to the battle of Uzushio and recalling that Naruto was sent in with the first battalion. "What will I be in?"

"What do you want to be in? It depends on what you specialise in. You look like the combat type," Minato nodded, "Which means you'll join the combat division, but that place has a lot of sub-divisions to organise the troops better. There is short range, mid range, short- to mid range, long range, and special battle division."

"Special battle division?" Minato had never heard about that before.

"Oh, it's kinda like support. Yamanaka, Nara's, Aburame's and Inuzuka's are usually in that place. If you're in a tight spot, they send people from the special battle division as the backup. I suppose you could call them the tokubetsu jounin division."

"I didn't know that." The boy admitted and looked up to see Naruto smiling at him. He smiled back.

"There you are!" The familiar voice of Taketa carried the last few feet from their destination. Naruto let out a heavy sigh.

"Damn."  _No double orders._

"I've been waiting foreeeeever. I thought you bailed on me kid." Taketa tapped the wooden bench he was sitting on, a table of the same material in front of him, "You ready to taste the food of the gods?" The man rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Naruto raised a single brow, " _Ramen_  is the food of gods. I told you that before."

Taketa scoffed, "And  _I_  told  _you_  that you're wrong!" He stood up, walked past the two boys and stopped in front of the hot dog stand, hands on his hips and a fierce scowl on his face, "Yoshiba-san! I need five of your best hot dogs!"

"You're gonna eat five?" Naruto asked.

"What?" Taketa returned, "It's for all of us."

' ** _Amateur.'_** Kurama snorted, head turning away to go back asleep.

Naruto had to agree, "Yoshiba-san, was it?" He turned to the man with the white cap, a red and white uniform and a moustache the shape of seagull wings. The man nodded, "Give me one of everything."

Silence.

"Naruto.. isn't that too much food?" Minato asked gently but uncertain.

"Of course not." Was all he said. Naruto sat down at the table, Minato following and Taketa taking the opposite seat in silence. The man regarded the boys and then smirked, "Did you get a girlfriend Naruto-san?" Minato's eyes almost popped out of his head along with a scorching red blush. Taketa's brows wiggled, but his face quickly morphed to that of pain when he winced from the sharp kick to his leg from underneath the table.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said absently, "Did you say something?" Kakashi would be proud. "I tend to go deaf when I hear idiocy."

Minato bit the inside of his cheek, shoulders shaking ever so slight but eyes shining with mirth. Taketa stared at the boy, put his elbows on the table, pointed at him and smirked, "I like you!"

"You're too old for me Taketa-san. What would people say about us?" He said a little  _too_  innocently.

Taketa laughed, loud and from the pits of his stomach. Even Minato joined in and squeezed the boys hand yet again. He returned it.

But Naruto seriously wanted his food. He was  _starving_  because he'd skipped lunch in favour of playing teacher.

"I think my stomach is eating me from the inside." Said stomach  _roared_ , ruffling his clothes.

"I'm sure it's ready soon." Minato smiled and just as he did Yoshiba walked up to them, placed a huge tray of food in front of them and grinned. The man left without a word. Minato stared mutely at a large amount of food and then to Taketa who looked a bit shocked and then to Naruto who's eyes seemed to  _sparkle_. "Itadakimasu?" He questioned.

"Itadakimaaaaaaaaassuuuu!"

Their finger unlocked and slipped away, Minato slowly withdrawing and placing his hand in his lap. It felt cold all of a sudden. But then he scolded himself; he couldn't walk around and hold Naruto's hand like a five-year old. He was going to be a shinobi and shinobi were strong.

But he  _liked_  holding Naruto's hand...

Even Naruto felt a strange cold emptiness or- perhaps a  _void_ , settling in his chest the moment he let go of Minato. The strange feeling confused him, worried and scared him just a little. What was it Jiraiya said when they'd escorted the caravan to Uzushio all those months ago?

_'I have no doubt in my mind that when you two start to form a friendship, you'll become inseparable.'_

Naruto glanced at the boy from the corner of his eye; he was watching his own hands with a strange look in his eye.

_'Kurama?'_

**_'You've always been like that.'_ ** _The old fox said,_ **_'Sentimental and bleeding.'_ **

_'But why now? Why Minato?'_

_The massive chakra construct merely tilted its head slightly to the side,_ **_'Aside from my excellent company you only have the damn Toad. Even I would seek better companionship after a while.'_ **

_'I'm being serious Kurama!'_

**_'So am I.'_ ** _He said simply,_ **_'You're alone. You still long for the friendship Uchiha refused to give you despite your continuous efforts. The chibi Yondaime appears to long for a friendship just like that- as you do. You two are merely kits right now, deprived of the warmth of a safe den. You're drawn together because you share something others don't.'_ **

_The boy looked up, 'What do we share that others don't?' Voice but a whisper._

**_'Several things, in fact. Haven't you noticed that his chakra is drawn to yours? I keep yours from doing the same because he would sense my chakra if I let it, but if I stopped, then they would reach out to each other. Similar chakra tends to do that. Family members, close friends, and lovers are just some examples. Your feelings are biological kit, so is your chakra_** ** _. It's nothing you can control or decide_ ** **_.'_ **

_Naruto appeared thoughtful, a small frown on his face, 'Because we're family?'_

**_'Who knows. You two are also similar because you're orphans, lonely and long for someone to stand next to. Acquaintances and friends are one thing, but_** ** _close_** ** _friends are different. The Toad was right about that at least; you two will become inseparable.'_ ** _Kurama then scoffed,_ **_'If not through friendship than hero-worship. That boy looks ready to sacrifice newborns for you.'_ ** _He smirked._

_Naruto deadpanned, 'Really, Kurama?'_

**_'I have nothing but time. I'll wait here for you, and when you come back after the two of you attach yourself to each other's hips, I'm going to tell you 'I told you so' and be smug about it.'_ **

_'Is it really alright to distract myself like this? Minato is nice_ _and all,_ _and I feel.. better_ _.._ _around him-' or so he'd suddenly noticed, '-but we're here for a reason. To change things, make things better!'_

 _The giant fox locked his large ruby eyes onto the boy's cerulean ones,_ **_'What point is there to make the wor_** ** _ld_ ****_a better place if you're miserable while you do it? What's left for you when it's over? What will you return to?'_ **

_Naruto's chest tightened, 'Thanks, Kurama.'_

**_'Now, go away. Chibi Yondaime is looking at you.'_ **

"Sorry?" He blinked, head quickly turning to face the boy. "I spaced out. Have a lot to think about."

"Are you alright Naruto?" Minato appeared concerned, Naruto noted.

"I'm fine." He reassured. The other boy didn't seem convinced but nodded all the same, deciding not to pry.

Naruto had a lot to think about.

 

* * *

 

Minato closed the door as quietly as he could. He'd return late. A lot later than was allowed and he had to tip-toe not to wake anyone up.

His day had started out normal enough, grown into one of his better days and now it was hands down the best day of his life so far.

Naruto was his friend.

Minato played with the thought, rolling it around in his mind and smiled at the mere idea of those words.

 _His_  friend.

The boy reached the stairs and begun ascending them, one step at a time and neatly dodging the squeaky sides. Those things could be heard through the entire house, and as a shinobi in training the mere thought of that made him cringe. He wasn't even a real shinobi yet, but shinobi paranoia was already a thing.

He reached the top floor and looked around, making sure nobody was awake before he walked towards his room. Slowly he pried the door open, Koto fast asleep in his bed and Minato's standing empty. With quiet steps, he moved over to his bed, changed his clothes and slipped under the blanket.

Would things be different tomorrow? Would Naruto remember that they were friends now?

Of course, he would. Why would he forget something like that?

Still, Minato smiled, he was going to be on the same team as one of the Sannin  _and_  Naruto. That was incredible. Frankly, he couldn't really believe it. Or maybe he didn't truly allow himself to believe it because if something changed, then he wouldn't be so disappointed.

Minato bit his bottom lip; a broad and silly grin stretched across his face.

_He was going to be Naruto's teammate._

The boy's hands found themselves onto his face, covering it and hiding the happiness that shone from it. Excitement, anticipation, and eagerness made him want to move, jump up and down and shout out his happiness but being the polite and well-mannered boy that he was- he wouldn't. It wasn't appropriate behaviour. Not for shinobi.

He lay there for a long while just thinking. Naruto spoke about fuinjutsu that it was something both Jiraiya and himself studied and practised. The schedule Naruto prepared for him also contained a section for fuinjutsu studies. From what he'd heard the art was complicated, intricate and very complex but the thought of falling behind only worked to motivate him. If Naruto and Jiraiya studied fuinjutsu then so would he!

Minato  _refused_  to fall behind.

 

* * *

 

Naruto opened the door and entered his house, a tired look on his face. He didn't really know what to make of the day that had transpired.

"And here I thought you'd abandoned me and run off with a lovely lady." Jiraiya placed his hand over his heart in mock-hurt. He then grinned and chuckled at the exasperated look he received in return, "Don't be such a sourpuss. What have you been up to today? You're usually not this late."

Naruto didn't reply. Instead, he walked over to the counter, channelled chakra to his feet and walked up the counter until he reached a cabinet and took out a mug, poured himself some coffee and walked to the table and sat down.

Jiraiya watched him through the whole thing, becoming increasingly more concerned by the lack of cheer or sarcasm in the boy.  
  
It was quiet for a couple of minute's before the boy spoke.

"When you said Minato and I would become inseparable.. what did you mean?" Naruto asked quietly, warming his fingers on the mug and eyes fixed on the steaming dark liquid.

Surprised by the choice of topic, Jiraiya regarded him for a moment, "Way back when, Minato was like the son I never had. A civilian born boy with more talent in his pinky finger than I did in my whole body. He was unique, precious. Like a rare gem that just needed someone to notice and polish it. I did that. Made him into a shinobi that people either feared or loved. But there was just something about him." he mused, looking to the window and stared at the stars, "I was convinced he would be the one to save the world. The one to find the real meaning of peace and acquire it. I thought he was the child of prophecy. Actually, I was pretty damn sure he was. But then he died," Jiraiya frowned, "Just like that. He was gone and the prophecy was still there. I'll admit," he sighed, "I've never been so disappointed and upset in my life. Minato had everything; the kindness, genius, talent, power, the position of Hokage, the ability to inspire others and just... I thought he was  _perfect._ "  
  
"He wasn't?"   
  
Jiraiya shrugged, "In a way, I suppose he was.  _Too_  perfect, too selfless and brave. So brave and courageous that he gave up his life to protect his village. He's a lot like you but without the stubbornness to not die. Unlike you, he can't survive a stab wound to the chest or regrow muscle tissue as you can. He's quick to throw himself in front of others, but he doesn't have your ability to heal or survive that kind of thing in the first place. The only reason you can act that way is that you'll survive it- he wouldn't."  
  
Naruto felt something twist inside of him. Fear and worry to the point of nausea. Minato could  _die_ if he acted like him and his reckless ways. He'd learned the hard way that people didn't typically survive with personalities like that. The fact that he did was merely an abnormality among shinobi. It was what made him  _special_.  
  
"He's also smarter than you. Academically he's unmatched by even the greatest shinobi alive today. That's saying something." Jiraiya saw the boy's mood darken.  
  
"So he's a better version of myself with a self-sacrifice complex?" Naruto's voice turned a tad bit bitter.  
  
Jiraiya frowned, "Naruto, what's brought this on? And you know that isn't even true. You've always been special in a way nobody else has been."  
  
Naruto turned to the side but then glared down into his mug, "I met Minato today. I taught him in the taijutsu class, remember?" Jiraiya nodded, "Yeah, well, I spent the rest of the day with him after he approached me after work to apologise for losing focus during class at one point." his glare intensified. "You know how I am, I'm stupid, so naturally I let it slip that we were going to be teammates. He didn't really seem to believe it for some reason, and then he looked-" Naruto clutched his hair and closed his eyes, "He looked like  _I_  did when I was younger and alone. Like a kid barely holding together and yearning for acknowledgement. And when the tears came I just... you know, I hugged him, and all the crap people usually do." he sighed in frustration, "Somehow we ended up saying we'd be friends  _forever_."  
  
The toad sage blinked and then narrowed his brows at the blond boy who almost appeared to blush at his thoughts, "And then?"  
  
Naruto shot the man a sour look before he crossed his arms, "I guess we held hands for the rest of the day."  
  
Silence.  
  
Jiraiya snorted, chuckled and then full out laughed. Naruto scowled, frustrated and rather pissed that he wasn't being taken seriously.   
  
"I told you!" He continued to laugh, "I  _told_ you that if you two became friends, you'd become inseparable!"  
  
"But why!?" Naruto slammed his hand onto the table, raffling the mugs. Jiraiya instantly stopped laughing. "The last time I felt anything remotely close to what I'm feeling now- Sasuke betrayed me! He  **abandoned**  me!"  
  
Realization dawned on the white-haired man.  
  
"Naruto." Jiraiya's voice carried a warning, "Minato _is **not**_ Sasuke!  **Don't**  compare them. Don't insult Minato like that. I get that you're hurt and far from healed. It's still too early, and I get that you're scared of showing any form of commitment towards anything remotely precious, but we're here to make the world a better place. If you don't try to mend your own wounds, then you'll become like the old Tsunade and whither away until you're only a shadow of what you used to be. Don't forget who you are. You're  **Uzumaki Naruto** ," Naruto swallowed thickly, "The damn Rokudaime Hokage, Savior of the goddamn world and Hero of the elemental nations! Not to mention the bloody partner of Kurama."  
  
**_'He knows what he's talking about kit.'_  **the giant fox added helpfully.  
  
Naruto sat back down, feeling heavier than he'd done in a long time.  
  
"What if I fail Minato too?" Naruto said, voice thick with emotion, "I couldn't save Sasuke. I couldn't even protect people _from_  Sasuke. I hate it... I  _hate_  feeling like this! When I spent the day with Minato, I knew I didn't want to be anywhere else in the world. I knew that I'd always be right there, right beside him and help him forward but when I see him smile  **I** alsosee him  _die_." Helplessly he looked up at Jiraiya who's eyes were soft and sad. He understood. He understood far too well what Naruto was talking about. So many people he knew and loved was alive right now that didn't use to be in Naruto's time. "Why isn't my dream to become Hokage anymore? Why is it to make sure Minato turn twenty-five?"  
  
Jiraiya's eyes widened a fraction, "It is?"  
  
Naruto nodded, "I don't understand it. Technically I only met him today.  _Really_  met him. It's like looking at a young version of myself. So naive and vulnerable." Naruto hung his head, "I don't want him to become like me. I want to protect him.. but I'm scared that if I stay too close to him, I'll end up getting him killed too."  
  
"What happened to your friends wasn't your fault Naruto. You know that. You can't protect everyone. The world isn't like that. And I know that you know that too." Jiraiya moved around the table and knelt down in front of the boy, "I want you to listen to me Naruto." the blond locked his gaze with the older man, "I have a place in this world. I'm in the body I was born to at this time. You are not. You need to make a place for yourself here. You  _need_ to make new friends, create new bonds with people and rise above your memories of another life. If you let your fear of a man that isn't even born yet dictate your actions then you've already lost. Sasuke is not even a damn sperm yet. Fuck that guy!" Jiraiya declared and Naruto couldn't help but smile, "Piss on his memory for all I care! Right now you've just been given the rare opportunity to gain a friend, a  _best friend_ for all we know. A friend that would never turn his back on you or leave you behind. Minato is like you and you already know how damn pig headed you can be. Don't throw that away for a bastard like that Uchiha. You have nothing to be scared of. If you are then become even stronger. Become so strong that Minato would never be able to wind up dead on your watch. Stick to his side like glue and make something  **great** from it. You two are  **my** students and I'm not going to let  _you_  disappear if I can stop it."  
  
Perhaps Jiraiya was right?  
  
"But what about that...- When I let go of his hand, it felt wrong." Naruto looked rather confused, and Jiraiya raised his brows curiously, "I don't know how to explain it, but I didn't like it. Kurama said we have similar chakra, so they're drawn to each other but it wasn't anything involving chakra, at least I don't think it was. I don't get it."  
  
The man scratched his chin thoughtfully and then looked the boy up and down, "I suppose it's possible you just missed being close to someone like that. For all my awesomeness I'm not really all that physical. I mean, we don't hug and stuff like that. We never have. From what I know you never had that with anyone. It's sound to me that you've just gotten something you've wanted for a long time and don't want to let it go."  
  
That made sense, Naruto mentally agreed, he nodded, "It's possible... Would explain why Minato looked the same way."  
  
"He did?"  
  
"Yeah. It's a bit weird. But I guess we'll find out sooner or later." he shrugged and sat down on the chair again. He looked at his adoptive father for a moment and then smirked, "You know, you're a pretty cool father when you try to be."  
  
Jiraiya snorted, "I'm always cool!"  
  
"No, you're really not."

"Oi!"


	19. Walk with Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clarification; I mentioned in a previous comment that Naruto is close to physically indestructible compared to a lot of other shinobi(or humans in general) but that doesn't mean he's untouchable. Naruto has always been sensitive to emotions which explain why he reacts so strongly to things. The bullshit Sasuke put him through all through his childhood and all the way to the end, put its mark on him. He basically lost all his friends at one point and it happened because Naruto refused to do what he should have done as a teammate to a missing-nin. Naruto is living with the consequences and the fear of repeating past mistakes. He doesn't want Minato to get wrapped up in his mess.
> 
> Fear has no age-limit.
> 
> Also~ I like to keep things humorous but it's not always going to be bantering flying back and forth people. Sometimes life sucks.

Hiruzen had seen a lot of things over the years, but nothing like this. His eyes moved over the document and then towards the blond boy in front of him. Naruto was standing there, perfectly sober, and the man didn't know what he thought about that.   
  
In his hands was a particular request. An application for a teaching method for the Academy. One that Naruto himself wanted to give the students while he was there. It wasn't an ordinary request, honestly it worried him a little, but even he saw the merits of what it could give the students. It was a way out- a way to make sure they didn't die unnecessarily but also to prepare them for what they were going to be asked to do.   
  
"These blood-clones..." Hiruzen wondered, "They bleed?"  
  
"Only a killing blow will take them out." Naruto confirmed "They're designed to appear as authentic as possible. They can simulate death quite well. I'm pretty good with transformation jutsu, so henging them to look like a random enemy-nin won't be a problem. But with all due respect Sandaime-sama," his eyes hardened, "Compared to the number of kids that will die or drop out because they don't understand what they are signing up for can be prevented through this. I'm fine with having them hate my guts, but it's a price I'm willing to pay if it can help save some of them. It's my belief that if we get this out of the way when they're in the Academy, then they won't freeze up in the field and endanger themselves and their teammates. It will also happen in a controlled environment with appropriate help available to talk to them about it straight afterwards."  
  
The Hokage looked at the document once more. The proposal certainly had its benefits, good ones at that but his morality kept him from granting permission. But then again, he thought grimly; Naruto's already fought in one war and judging by the state of the world then another would follow. If his shinobi could already be prepared to do what was required of them, then it would help quite a lot. But Naruto was asking permission to have the children-   
  
"I need more details than this. How would you go about to structure this class?"  
  
Naruto nodded, finding his question relevant to ask, "My intention is to have them kill two of my clones each."  
  
"Two?" Hiruzen furrowed his brows. That seemed a bit excessive.   
  
"Indeed," Naruto confirmed, "Two. In the field, the first kill you do is usually made in self-defensive, and it gives you a way to justify it. Not all deaths will be justifiable, and it's my intention to stage two different scenarios for them. One is a simple execution when they are acutely aware of their actions, and the other is going to be through self-defensive. The sooner they learn to do what is necessary to complete a mission the better. Because sometimes we have to follow orders we morally disagree with."  
  
It was harsh, but it was also true. Logically there was nothing he could say to dissuade the boy and tell him that he was wrong. He wasn't wrong.   
  
"Very well. However," he added, "I want to be present while this class takes place. I'm confident that several other people will be doing so as well. This would be the first of its kind, and I'm interested to see the outcome and how they handle it after your teachings."  
  
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."  
  
He nodded but then leaned on to his desk, fingers interlaced, "Are they ready for something like this?"  
  
Cerulean eyes of ice locked with his, the boy so determined and fierce that he felt a chill run down his spine, "They will be."  
  
Hiruzen nodded, and Naruto disappeared.   
  
He let out a small sigh, closed his eyes and nodded to himself. It was for the best of everyone involved, even if the children wouldn't understand it at the moment of their confrontation. 

 

* * *

  
  
  
Naruto walked up to the temporary Academy instructors that once again gathered in the staff-room and around the doom-and-gloom-table. He dropped a stack of papers on the table, drawing everyone's attention.  
  
"I went to the Hokage with a suggestion for the final day of our mission here." Because they did consider their stay in the Academy a mission, no matter how pissed they were about it, "I've received the Sandaime's permission, and he will attend along with numerous others. Most likely clan heads and medics. If you want to be there with kids from your classes, then you need to fill in these papers and hand them to me. I'll be giving them to the Sandaime at the end of the day."

"What is it?" Taketa reached for the paper on top of the pile. He skimmed through it and then his eyes widened. His head quickly snapped up to look at the boy who didn't so much as raise a brow. "You're serious about this?"  
  
"Perfectly."  
  
"Wait..!" Another of them looked at the papers, "You want them to get their first kills before they leave the Academy?"  
  
Naruto nodded, "I do. It's also the best way to get rid of the ones that aren't suited to become shinobi on active field-duty and can be slotted into the civilian sector for permanent D-ranks."  
  
"It's not bad." Taketa agreed, humming, "It would save us all the trouble of nursing their mental state after they stab someone to death. Judging by this they'll be under medical supervision as well as therapy from Yamanaka's. I don't see a downside to this. Only that it might be a bit early for them since they're still young but even that's a poor argument at this point. I was only nine when I killed my first opponent."  
  
"That's true." A kunoichi with long brown hair said, "I think it's a good idea. I can't say the other instructors will agree with us though. They're way softer than they used to be in my time. This place has deteriorated over the years. They are completely cut off from the reality of what active field-duty entails. Even their curriculum in other subjects shows that most focus lays in areas that are rather useless. Herbology class focus on what certain flowers mean and not how they can be used to poison or heal someone's wounds."  
  
"An army of paper-ninja." Taketa agreed, "Well, I'm signing it. Those brats need a reality check, or they're better off working as civilians."  
  
With that, all of them took hold of a paper each and begun to fill it in. It didn't take more than a couple of minutes until Naruto had his clone run off to deliver the documents to the Hokage.   
  
The bell rang soon afterwards, and Naruto and Taketa headed for the yard once again.  
  
"What are you going for today?" Naruto asked.  
  
"I thought I'd show them how bad they are at throwing weapons. You know, motivate them to improve unless they want to die." He grinned wickedly.   
  
"I thought about doing something similar."   
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah. I reserved training ground three yesterday." The chunin smirked, "Let's just say you'll be able to figure it out when I'm done with them."  
  
"Now I'm curious!" Taketa laughed, "Bring them back alive."  
  
"I'll try~."  
  
As per usual, the yard was occupied by two groups of students. The boys who eagerly waited for Naruto while the other group sent dark and fearful looks around them in hopes of Taketa turning up dead for some mysterious reason.   
  
"Line up!" The taller of the two ordered before anyone could see them. The girls shrieked in fright, quickly lining up while the boys took a moment longer. Soon enough they all stood in two lines each with girls on the right side and the boys on the left. "We have something special to announce."  
  
A small chakra pulse and Naruto continued, "As you know our teaching methods are unusual for the classes you're taking. This taijutsu class isn't just about taijutsu anymore but combat in general." The students nodded, "On the final day you'll have us here, we will have visitors that will judge your progress. Sandaime-sama is among them." whispering broke out in the lines, "However!" Everyone fell silent, "He's got better things to do than watching a bunch of shinobi wannabe's go through katas, so it's been decided that you will be taking the first of two tests in the arena. The second test will be taken in the TI headquarters."  
  
Taketa nodded, "And I can say right now; that if you don't pass the test, you'll be  **removed** from the program and put in the civilian sector effective immediately. Only those who pass will move on to take the graduation test. If you have any form of talent for the shinobi arts despite failing, it's possible you'll be considered for a genin career without a possibility to advance unless you retake the test and pass. It's also possible to join the medic- division if you have adequate chakra control."  
  
"But you'll earn more money working as a civilian carpenter if that's the route you end up on," Naruto added.  
  
The two of them took in the pale expression of the students but paid it no mind. If the kids couldn't even handle that much, then they shouldn't even be considered for genin.   
  
 "Until then it's our job to whip you into shape. It's our opinion that the Academy is in need of a serious overhaul and you lot are the lucky first to get a taste of what that means." Taketa explained. "With that, we'll start the lesson of the day. Ladies, this way."  
  
The grim-looking girls obediently followed behind the man in two lines while Naruto watched the boys for a long moment.   
  
"We're moving to training ground three. You've got five minutes to get there." Naruto turned around and begun to walk away.  
  
"That's on the other side of the village!" one of the civilian born boys exclaimed. Naruto looked over his shoulder and smirked, "Then I suggest you start running. Four minutes and fifty seconds."  
  
The reaction was instantaneous, The entire group ran out of the gates, tearing down the street like Tora's mother was on their heels.  
  
"Any interesting plans?" A voice spoke from the tree-line. Naruto looked up and recognised Orochimaru, Tsunade and Jiraiya in the shadows of the crown. He's sensed them of course; he was a sensor type after all. Still, it was quite amusing that they spent the day watching kids train rather than do anything else of importance.   
  
"I don't know about interesting." Naruto mused, "But it's going to be funny as hell. My clones were up all night working on it."  
  
"Hooh?" Jiraiya grinned, "I suppose you wouldn't mind an audience?"  
  
"Go ahead. I'd bring something to eat though; it's going to be entertaining."  
  
The three smirked, mirrored by the boy as the four of them shunshin'ed away.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Naruto arrived at the sight of half-dead Academy students. Some looked a little better than others, but for the most part, it looked like they'd had better days. Which was kind of ironic since the day had hardly begun.   
  
Meanwhile, Orochimaru held a large bag of jelly mice of various colours. His favourites were the green ones with pear flavour, but he'd always end up with a damn apple flavoured one when he least expected it. It was thrilling, not knowing what candy you'd get. Aside from that, it was very appealing looking candy. Mice.   
  
Tsunade held a large bottle of sake and dried meat, a small tatami mat and a camera.   
  
Jiraiya sat in an orange sun chair, two toads on each side of him, one green and one yellow- each with a lemonade in hand. He had a bottle of sake in his, sunglasses, a large red parasol that all of them had conveniently moved underneath and then, of course, a large basket of water balloons.   
  
Naruto pointedly ignored the fact that he was over ten minutes late and rushed the kids for no reason. A little exercise never killed anyone.   
  
Yet.  
  
"Line up," Naruto ordered. The first to pull themselves up was the expected ones; clan kids and Minato. The rest followed but not before sending the boy a sour look. "Can anyone tell me what the most important thing in combat is?"  
  
"The ability to dodge," Shikaku said automatically and instantly blanched when Naruto grinned wickedly. The Nara looked behind the blond boy, noting what he'd been too tired to see before; Behind him stood cargo upon cargo boxes filled with water balloons of every colour there was. "You've got to be kidding me." the boy said flatly and glanced to the Sannin he'd just acknowledged the presence of, "Oh, come on!" Tsunade snapped a picture of the kid who looked pretty damn 'over it'.  
  
"Cheeeeese!"  
  
Minato couldn't quite suppress a smile at his friend's reaction. It was just water, after all.   
  
Except-  
  
A water balloon sailed through the sky and hit the Nara straight in the face. The balloon exploded into red... paint.  
  
Minato's mouth fell open, eyes bordering on popping out of his head at the suddenly tomato red boy next to him. Another camera flash and roar of laughter from Jiraiya. Orochimaru ate a strawberry mouse.  
  
"One day." Shikaku said with as much dignity as he could, "I'm going to make you regret that."  
  
Naruto bounced a blue paint balloon in his hand, "Is that before or after turning into a work of art?"  
  
"This is too damn troublesome..." he muttered, face completely red and hair dripping with paint.  
  
The blond instructor smiled, "As you've all noticed; I don't fight fair. Water balloons aren't punishing enough. It's too tame. So unless you want to go back to the Academy and look like Nara-san over there, then I suggest you dodge." The kids looked ready to book it. "Oh! I almost forgot." He smiled innocently and formed a Clone sign. Almost sixty clones popped into existence through a chakra cloud and moved over to the apprehensive kids.  
  
"None of you are allowed to run away. You're going to stand inside of that circle drawn on the ground." The clones locked in each of the kids by drawing a circle around each of them, "Your task is to dodge all paint balloons for five minutes straight- courtesy of my clones who will be bombarding you for the next few hours. You're not leaving that circle until you either dodge them all or the class hours end. It's up to you on how you want to look when you go back to the classroom."  
  
"I hate this guy." One of the kids muttered and promptly received a pink paint balloon in the face. " _So much._ " A translucent one with silver glitter followed and hit him with a loud  _pop!_ And a cloud of silver glitter rose in the air. Another camera flash.   
  
"Let's begin shall we?" Naruto smiled sweetly.  
  
Absolute and utter anarchy broke out, all the shouts of dismay, shrieks, colourful curses and, of course, promises of pain was barely enough to muffle the hysterical laughter from Tsunade and Jiraiya. Orochimaru was sitting with his legs crossed, his bag of jelly mice in his lap, an amused smile on his lips, glasses on the lower bridge of his nose and a notebook resting on his right knee. Every once in a while he made a single line in the book, counting how many times the kids lost their shit and tried to leave the circle- only to get zapped and pushed back inside, courtesy of Naruto and his hidden seals. It didn't take long for them all to smell like a painted log on fire.  
  
Meanwhile, Minato was doing well. Dodging to the best of his abilities and also closing in on the five-minute mark. He scarcely noted that Naruto watched him and had walked a little closer to him as well. "You're doing well Minato." The blond boy praised.   
  
Jiraiya and the Sannin watched their exchange.  
  
"Thank you Naruto-sensei!"   
  
"However," Naruto drawled and a horrible sense of foreboding kicked Minato in the stomach, "Always expect the unexpected."  
  
At that moment a paint balloon soared across the field, nailed the boy straight in the head and turned his bright yellow hair green as the grass. His blue eyes widened in shock, and he turned to the direction it had come from. In the distance, Orochimaru lowered his hand, reached for a jelly candy and made another line in his notebook. Tsunade snorted loudly, and Jiraiya cackled at this point.  
  
"That's your blind spot by the way." Naruto sent the boy a peace-sign before shoving his hands into his pocket and moving away to observe the other kids.   
  
Minato touched his green hair and stared at his fingers. Then, all of a sudden, Minato begun to laugh and smiled widely, turning to the clones and nodded for them to continue.   
  
It was pretty fun.  
  
Naruto moved down the line and stopped by a boy he could have sworn wasn't there before. The boy looked exactly like Shino. Something clicked in his mind, "You must be Shibi-san?"  
  
"That is correct Uzumaki-sensei." he said neutrally.  
  
"I didn't see you yesterday. Were you sick?"  
  
"No."  
  
The chunin squinted his eyes, "Did I make you a schedule?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I see." Naruto then shrugged, "Oh well. You're an Aburame." He said as if though that would explain everything, "Kikaichu and excellent chakra control. Pick up a weapon and master it. I'd recommend a Kusarigama since taijutsu won't be favourable with your hives. With the Kusarigama you'll never have to get close enough to an enemy to engage in taijutsu combat. Still, don't slack on the dodge training." A blue balloon nailed him in the back of his head, "Add environmental awareness to that."  
  
With that he walked away, leaving a thoughtful Shibi behind as he stiffly moved out of the way of paint balloons.  
  
Next up was the Hyuuga twins who did relatively well because of their Byakugan. Still, Naruto knew exactly where their blind spot was located, and it was easy enough to throw a balloon to their head once they looked a little confident. That would knock them right down.   


Fugaku also did well, but he appeared to be mighty pissed about the pink paint. He wouldn't have minded if it was blue, black or red but pink was just degrading. It was with a loud growl that he dodged yet another pink balloon in favour of taking a blue one in the back instead. Little did he know that Tsunade reached for a balloon in the basket in front of the Sannin. She picked up a pink one, a balloon that sparkled suspiciously and stood up. A sinister smirk plastered on her face as she pulled back her hand, aimed and threw the ball as hard as she could.   
  
A yelp, a large cloud of sticky pink glitter paint and a thud later, Tsunade sat down, Fugaku tried to get up on shaky legs, absently imagining himself to have a concussion and continued to dodge, albeit poorly this time.   
  
The medic beamed happily, ignoring the flat looks from her teammates and the deadpan from Naruto across the field.  
  
"I know it's fun to knock them on their asses," Jiraiya began slowly, "But I don't think making them end up in the hospital would be an ideal scenario."  
  
"Meh! He'll live. Uchiha's are stubborn and thick-headed. A concussion might do him good, and perhaps that stick up his ass will fall out."  
  
"Oi, Orochi-teme! Tell her!" Jiraiya pointed at the blond, "Killing kids is wrong!"  
  
"Don't involve me in this."  
  
"That's right. You nailed the blond boy in the head." Tsunade smirked, "Are you sure that wasn't because he passed your points in the Academy already?"  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Orochimaru shoved a handful of jelly mice into his mouth.   
  
"I'm sure." she drawled.  
  
Suddenly, Jiraiya burst out laughing once again, the Hyuuga brothers stumbling into the barrier at the same time and getting zapped hard enough to make their hair stand out.  
  
"This is brilliant!" He laughed, "Nothing motivates a group of brats more than utter humiliation."  
  
"Oh, this isn't the humiliating part." Naruto suddenly spoke up, walking up to them and sitting down underneath the red parasol, "That would be the part when they walk through the entire village looking like a circus imploded on them. This is the acceptance stage." he reached for one of Orochimaru's jelly mice, find a yellow one and cringing at the strong lemon flavour, "I considered only using red paint to simulate blood... but I figured that would give them a trauma or something. So! Why not wound their pride? Because I wanted to wound them all somehow. Give them something to remember the lesson by."  
  
"And remember  _you_  by," Orochimaru added.  
  
"Of course." The boy smiled widely, a little too widely, "Wouldn't want them to forget who painted them the colour of  _pride_  before they were a genin."  
  
"You have issues kid." Tsunade chuckled.  
  
"Don't we all." Naruto took another jelly candy and a cup of Tsunade's sake. The woman stared at him incredulously. He shrugged, "What? I can't get drunk. Fuzzy burns through it like water, same with poisons." he took it all in a single swig.  
  
"So you like the flavour?"  
  
"Not really." He admitted with a slight grimace, "But it grows on you. And I'm thirsty."  
  
"Shouldn't you drink a soft drink or something then?" she raised a single brow.  
  
Jiraiya snorted and fixed the woman with a flat look, "The last thing that boy need is more sugar. He's hyperactive as it is. I'd like to keep the small amount of my sanity that I have left, thank you."  
  
"You don't break down sugar as fast as alcohol?" Orochimaru inquired curiously, whipping out another notebook from the inside of his vest, "What's the difference?"  
  
Warily the Jinchuuriki eyed the notebook and edged away from the man, "Erm... Well, I guess I only don't need alcohol, so Kurama gets rid of it. Sugar is good to build energy from. Reserves and all that... I eat a lot to restock my energy. Kurama needs energy too."  
  
"I see, I see." He nodded, "What does that make you feeeel?"  
  
Okay, that wasn't right. "Boss!" One of his clones shouted from across the field.  
  
Naruto quickly stood up, edged away and fled for his life, "Duty calls!"  
  
The boy kicked up a trail of dust and arrived by his clone in just a few seconds. The clone stood next to a grinning, paint-covered boy, who looked far more happy than the rest of the students in the training-field.   
  
"Who're you again?" Naruto looked up and down the boy and couldn't even tell what skin-tone he'd originally been.  
  
"It's me! Minato!"   
  
The chunin walked around him curiously and then smirked, "You look ridiculous Minato."  
  
"I know," He admitted, grin still fixed on his face, "But I had a lot of fun! I'll dodge more of them next time."  
  
A small smile spread across his lips, "I don't doubt it." he clapped his hands. "Alright. You're the only one that's managed to complete the full five minutes, and because of that, I'll give you a treat. Follow me." Not a cookie.  
  
Minato followed the blond boy curiously all the way to the side of a small river. Naruto walked out on top of it. "You knew tree-climbing, right?" Minato's paint-covered head bobbed up and down, "Next step is to walk on water. The surface of the water changes all the time unlike the surface of a tree. Which means-"  
  
"I'll have to regulate the chakra to my feet continuously otherwise I'll fall through."  
  
Naruto faulted, "Yeah...  _That._ "  
  
Minato took a step onto the surface of the water and immediately fell head-first into the river with a loud  _splash!  
_  
The chunin sat down on the side of the river and beamed when the boy broke through the surface, "Actually I just wanted to award you with a dip in the river if you finished the five minutes. The chakra control exercise was just a bonus. Now you won't have to walk through the entire village looking like an idiot."  
  
Minato gaped incredulously, but then stared down at his hands, took a few locks of his hair and looked at them- _all the paint was gone._  "It's not water proof..."  
  
"Of course not. Can you imagine seeing the Uchiha coming back tomorrow and looking like a bubble gum exploded in his general direction?"  
  
Minato edged closer to the side of the river, placed his hands on the grass, looked up at Naruto and smiled brightly, "No, I suppose not."  
  
"Now that I know who I'm looking at, let's try that again shall we?"  
  
The two grinned at each other.


	20. From two to three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have some MinaNaru!

That evening, after raiding the Ichiraku restaurant of all the food they had(Taketa officially believed in a new God, thanks to Naruto) the boy was on the hunt for a specific blond boy.

Naruto was determined. If there was one thing he wanted right now- it was to prepare Minato for everything that would be heading his way. Minato didn't know what the tests would consist of at the end of Naruto's stay in the Academy, and that was all right. Great even. Naruto didn't want him to know right now. It was too soon, and he wasn't quite ready yet.

As such he walked on the crowded streets of Konoha, mind drifting towards the person at the end of his destination. Minato was different from what he'd expected when Jiraiya spoke about him. He was bright, so happy and almost always smiling. When some people wanted to whine and complain he only sighed, smiled and got to work. Naruto admired that. Naruto wasn't all that different; he'd whine, growl in determination and  _then_  get to work. The two of them would end up at the same end-point, but the only difference was that Naruto would whine all the way there.

The sky was turning a little darker, not quite sunset yet but enough to see that the sun was preparing itself to rest for the night. The wind was cool, not quite cold but not far from it. Absently Naruto mused that it was his birthday soon. A little under two weeks as well.

The boy stopped and stared up at the sky.

_Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday..._ a lump settled in his throat, and he continued forward, trying to forget that he'd unintentionally placed the final tests in the Academy on his birthday.

**Great,**  so, he was going to get killed  _dozens_  of times on his birthday.

Isn't that just  _wonderful?_

It wasn't important; Naruto tried to assure himself of. There were more important things to think about. Besides, he'd already had close to fifty birthdays already. What would one shitty birthday do? He'd already had plenty of those anyway. And it's not like it could get much worse than being chased around the village by angry mobs during the Kyuubi festival.  _Not_  the best of times.

Naruto pulled to a stop in front of a closed gate that was a little too familiar for his liking.

It was the orphanage that'd thrown him out when he was five years old.

He could also sense Minato's chakra signature from inside one of the rooms on the third floor.

"That's messed up..." What was the odds that they lived in the same orphanage growing up? Well, growing up the first time around.

But that didn't change the discomfort in his stomach. Naruto had a lot of unpleasant memories, and that orphanage was the cause of a lot of them. Eating leftover food because they'd conveniently forgotten him or the shower room that somehow never had soap when it was his turn to wash up for the day. The attic that he'd cleaned to perfection after getting sent up there one too many times and of course the back yard and the small empty sandbox where he sat alone when the caretakers made sure none of the kids played with him.

Naruto didn't hate a lot of things in the world.

But Naruto  **hated**  this orphanage.

He didn't know what it was like at this time, also finding that he didn't give a damn about it. You could only stay in the orphanage until you either graduated the shinobi Academy, got adopted or took up a civilian job. Which meant that once Minato graduated then, he'd get thrown out too and expected to take care of himself even if he was just ten years old.

The handling of orphans repulsed him. It was one of the things he changed when he became the Hokage, and he'd be damned if he didn't make someone change it this time too.

The Rokudaime Hokage shunshin'ed inside of the gates and channelled chakra to his feet, placed one foot on the side of the wall and then another. It only took a couple of seconds to reach the third floor. The first room was empty, and so was the third. The fourth had two girls playing in it and the next two boys- one of which was Minato. He sat with a fuinjutsu book in his lap, head practically buried inside of it and looking far too immersed in the subject. Naruto couldn't help but grimace, fuinjutsu theory sucked donkey to study and to see someone enjoy it rubbed him the wrong way. It was like getting all giddy about math.  **Nobody**  with a sane mind would do that. But he supposed that the subject was right up Minato's alley.

As quietly as humanly possible, Naruto began sliding the window open. He'd snuck out of the orphanage enough times to know how the windows worked and how to make them silent enough to go unnoticed by people. He moved onto the windowsill, taking a seat and decided to see how long it would take for Minato to notice him.

A couple of minutes passed, and Naruto was sitting with his eyebrows touching his hairline. The boy was completely immersed in his book, barely blinking and occasionally nodding after understanding a particular section.

To his irritation, it wasn't Minato who noticed him, but the brown haired boy on the other side of the room. He announced the blonds presence with a resounding,  **"Who the hell are you!?"**

Minato's reeled back, startled and looked around himself, eyes landing on Naruto who gave him an unimpressed raised brow. "Naruto!" Surprise was coating his words.

Said boy looked to Koto and sized him up, "You must be a civilian." Naruto said, "I'm obviously a shinobi."

Koto scoffed, "Yeah, right! You look like a little brat!"

Instantly a tick mark found its way on to Naruto's forehead, pulsing with indignation.

Minato quickly held out his hands to calm them down, "This is Uzumaki Naruto, Koto-san. Naruto  _is_  a shinobi. He's a chunin."

Koto's glare moved from one blond to the other, "Is that supposed to mean anything to me? You're all just a bunch of murderers!"

His mouth fell open in shock, but then he glared back, "That's not-"

"That's right," Naruto said simply, forcing Minato to stop talking. He fixed Koto with an icy stare, "If you know that much already then don't you think it's a pretty bad idea to piss of a murderer? Or are you stupid?"

Naruto let out a sliver of KI and Koto instantly paled, Minato moved a little backwards in surprise. He'd never seen Naruto look dangerous before. But now he did... Naruto didn't look like a harmless child  _at all_. But a boy capable of bad things.

"Run along Koto. Wouldn't want to kick a sleeping bear, would we?" he smiled, although it wasn't as much a smile as it was a promise.

Koto bolted faster than the door could open. He was gone in seconds.

For a moment it was silent, Minato's fingers trembling slightly at the sudden exposure of KI. That feeling quickly disappeared when something warm, like a blanket, wrapped around him. He looked up and saw Naruto holding a hand on his shoulder and visibly channelling chakra to his hand and then cloaking Minato in it.

"Sorry about that." the shorter of the two mumbled, "I don't like orphanages. Or Koto. Whichever get's me out of trouble." he smiled sheepishly.

"His parents were killed by foreign shinobi." Minato explained softly, "We're all the same to him."

"Well, that _is_  stupid. So I'm entirely justified with what I said." He said matter of factually. He wasn't taking crap for a prejudice brat that had barely gotten out of his diaper. It was sad what happened to Koto's parents, but his hatred was unfair.

"He just misses his parents," Minato spoke quietly.

"Don't we all." Naruto drawled, "It won't make them come back. It's better to bury it and move forward. Otherwise, you'll stand in the same spot for the rest of your life, whithering away and wasting the life your parents gave you in the first place. That's not a way to honour the dead. Might as well piss on their grave like that." Naruto hopped on to the windowsill again, missing the forlorn and sad smile on Minato's face. "Have you given any thought of where you'll go after you graduate?"

Minato sat down on his bed, pulled his knees up and stared into the room, "I've saved some money. If I work hard, then I should be able to find an apartment somewhere."

"Like in the Akasan." Naruto turned around and looked down at the resigned look on the boys face, "That's the only place you'd be able to afford with an orphan- and genin budget. Most genin lives at home until they start doing C-ranks."

"I'll be alright," Minato reassured, albeit quietly.

Naruto hummed, "I thought you'd say that. Which was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about? Since we're going to be teammates and I live with Ero-sennin and with you living in the Akasan. Well, that place is on the other side of the village so it would be better if you just lived at our home. Wouldn't have to meet up every day either. Could just eat at home and head out together."

The blond orphan boy stared at the other in utter bewilderment, not believing what he was hearing. "You want me to live with you?" Minato whispered, stunned.

"Sure." the boy smiled down at him, "If you want to. Our place is pretty big."

"Can I?" Minato's vision turned misty, "Can I really?"

Naruto slid down the windowsill and sat down next to his friend, "I wouldn't ask if I didn't mean it." He watched Minato catch his tears, a somewhat mixed expression on his face. Relief, like a burden that was lifted off of his shoulders. But there was also happiness, a strained but genuine smile stretching across his face from underneath his hands. "I told you before that I used to live on the streets, right?" Naruto said quietly, and Minato looked up, the former laughed dryly, "It's not all it's cracked up to be. It's not fun eating out of a dumpster."

"You did that...?" he gasped.

The boy ruffled Minato's longer hair, "I did that." he grinned but not as widely, "I used to run errands for brothels in the Akasan. I earned a little more money that way. Let's just say it's not a lifestyle I recommend and I don't want you to experience that. Not if I can prevent it with giving you a spare room that we don't even use. Ero-sennin is practically rich, and he spends his money on rather questionable hobbies. Maybe having you there will make him grow up a little." Naruto shrugged.

Minato didn't want to appear ungrateful but... "I don't want to live here..."

Naruto draped one of his arms over Minato's shoulders, pulling him a little to him, "Then pack your bags. Might as well move in now. I don't see the point in staying any longer than you have to."

"B-but I can't leave right now, can I? I mean, I'm not a genin yet." He stared, shocked.

"Fine." Naruto dragged himself off the bed and walked to the door, "Gimme a minute." With that Naruto left the room, closed the door behind him and skipped down the stairs that he was far too familiar with. He stopped by the kitchen, peeked inside and noted that there was a woman with long blond hair standing by the oven. She stirred in a large pot and then walked over to the cutting board, picked up a large sharp knife and begun cutting the vegetables.

"Yo!" Naruto waltzed inside, jumped up on the table and sat down. The woman stared at the boy in surprise, not certain of who he was. Her eyes landed on the hitai-ate and the fact that it was a leaf insignia.

"Shinobi-san?" she asked, "What can I help you with? And please get off the table."

Naruto didn't. "I'm here about Namikaze Minato. It just so happens that he will be graduating the Academy in little less than two months and he's been scouted by Jiraiya of the Sannin. As you know, I'm Jiraiya's adoptive son." The woman nodded, mildly speechless, "Since we're pretty sure Minato will be passing his Academy exam with flying colours and that he will end up on our future team, I'm wondering if it would be any problems with having him move in with us. It will help us build the necessary bonds for the teamwork our team will require. I'm sure you understand the importance of teamwork and strength in our line of work."

"O-of course." she didn't let go of her knife, "So you want Minato-kun to move in with you?"

"Immediately, actually. If you're worried we will abduct or chain him to the basement, then you're welcome to accompany us and see where he's going to live. I'm sure you've seen the large white house on the east side of the Hokage monument."

Her eyes widened, "The white house with black roof-tiles and-"

"Large black gates, yes," Naruto confirmed with a nod.

She put her knife down and dried her hands on her apron, "It's very unorthodox." she furrowed her brows slightly, choosing her words carefully, "But I've seen that house many times. It's quite large. Minato-kun will live there?"

"For as long as he wants. He's free to find his own place when he officially gets his hitai-ate."

The blond woman nodded and stood in front of him in silence for a long moment, "I see no issues with it. You'll have to fill in a transfer document stating where he'll live until he signs the release once he becomes a genin. He won't be able to return here once he does."

"He's aware. We'll cover the cost of his living so if he has one- please, put his living expenses in his bank account until he's able to access it himself. That should be acceptable, right?"

"Yes, it would. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, can you watch the stove for a moment while I go and collect the necessary paperwork?"

"Of course." He hopped off the table, walked past her and towards the cutting board and the stove.

The woman quickly left through one of the doors. In the meantime, he occupied himself by cutting up all the vegetables and stirring the pot and adding the next handful of ingredients. By the time she came back, Naruto was seasoning the soup and ignoring the shock on the woman.

He dipped a spoon inside the soup, sipped on it and hummed. He reached for the salt, putting a little inside and tasted it again. He nodded approvingly and pushed back from the counter, landing neatly on the floor. "The soup is ready," he said simply, taking the papers from her, whipped out a pen from seemingly nowhere and quickly signed the papers with a mildly bored expression on his face.

She took hold of the papers, tasted the soup and smiled, "Take care of Minato-kun!"

"Cya."

Naruto jogged back up the stair, walked into the wrong room and earned a shriek, a pillow to the face, and then a door slammed in his face. Unperturbed he continued and, this time, found the right door. Minato was sitting on the bed, leaning forward once his friend returned and quickly asked, "What happened?"

"Pack your bags Minato. You're coming back with me."

"Right now?" he stood up slowly.

"Right this second." Naruto nodded and looked around, "Do you have any boxes or something? No, actually. We're not going to do anything. Let's go train. My clones can handle it." With that he quickly made ten clones, crowding the entire room, "Take the stuff on this side of the room," he gestured to the left side of the room and got a confirming nod from Minato, "And put it in the room next to mine."

"Osu!"

Naruto then turned around and grinned, "You and I are going to train."

Minato didn't even have enough time to blink before Naruto shunshin'ed them to training ground three.

The two stumbled upon landing, Naruto barely able to keep on his feet, "That could have gone better." Naruto admitted, straightening his clothes. Surprisingly enough the other boy looked completely fine.

"We're training right now?" he asked, feet bare and dressed in a pair of long black pants and a cream coloured t-shirt with a short-sleeved black hoodie on top. "I don't have any shoes."  


"You don't need them." Naruto said and took his hand, "We're going to make you water-walk. I'm gonna show you an easier way."

"Easier way?" Minato parroted.

"Easier way." he confirmed, "Since I was teaching you guys in a proper class I can't show favouritism, or I'll get scolded by the principal.  _So,_ " he stopped in front of the river and grinned, "I'm just going to teach you as a friend. And you better take off your clothes unless you want to get them wet. We're going to be here for a while."

Not two minutes later Minato stood on the edge of the river in his boxers; determination fixed on his face and Naruto standing next to him.

"You know that feeling when I cloaked you in my chakra after using Killing Intent?"

"Yes, it was warm." he recalled the event, "You removed the effects from it by shielding me with your chakra, right?"

"Pretty much." Naruto confirmed, "KI is a simple intimidation technique that's used to create openings in your opponents defence, but most people just use it to scare people. What I did to you was remove the effect by using the chakra to do the opposite- soothe your fears. Jounin does that to genin when they learn how to handle KI in combat."

Minato smiled, "And you did it now." the other boy grinned again.

"Yup! You'll grow immune to certain levels of KI as time goes by. For example, if a genin used KI on me I would barely notice. If Sandaime-sama used it, I'd probably be sweating a bit."

Minato chuckled, "A little perhaps."

Naruto actually wouldn't sweat  _that much_. Technically he was way stronger KI wise if he tapped into Kurama's chakra. He could probably make an average jounin piss themselves in fear.

"Anyway, where I was going with this is that I can help you learn to water-walk with the aid of my own chakra," Naruto explained and walked out on the water and turned around to face the boy. He held out his hands to the confused student who took them hesitantly. Minato didn't get it. "What I mean is that I can show you what my chakra does. How I move and balance it, so you'll know what you need to do with yours. It's a way to show fellow shinobi how much chakra they need to perform certain techniques. Get it?"

He did so he bobbed his head, "I think so."

Naruto held on to his hands a little tighter, allowing his chakra to wander up his body and into Minato who closed his eyes to get a better feel of it. It wasn't that hard to mimic the feeling with his own chakra. What took Minato some time was that he couldn't resist basking in the bright and warm chakra that Naruto possessed. He'd never felt something so strong and potent. It was just another piece of proof that confirmed what Minato already knew; Naruto was going to become someone special one day. Perhaps he'd even become Hokage? The thought made Minato smile because even if that was his dream as well, he didn't mind sharing it with Naruto.

He didn't notice when Naruto began moving backwards, slowly making him follow as they walked back across the water. Minato didn't fall through, Naruto's chakra working as a guide and Minato too busy bathing in his chakra to think of what he was doing.

"Nice job," Naruto said a while later. The boy opened his eyes and stared into a pair of cerulean blue ones. It only took a second before he realised what he'd done and looked down on his bare feet. He was standing in the middle of the river, water flowing downstream. When Naruto withdrew his own chakra, Minato had already memorised the feeling and managed to stand on his own. He marvelled at the sight, a bright smile on his face and eyes shining with happiness.

"I did it!"

"You did." he clutched his fist and gave the boy a thumbs up.

"It's so much easier that way," Minato said, taking tentative steps on the water, one hand still locked with Naruto's. "Why don't they teach this at the Academy?"

Naruto shrugged, "Beats me. From what the other temporary instructors say- the entire Academy is made up of paper-ninja. They might be at least chunin, but with their combat readiness, they might as well be a genin. They're smart, granted, but they can't hold their own in combat well enough since they're out of practice."

"That makes sense."

"There's a small pond in our backyard." The chunin mused aloud, "You should sit on it and meditate a couple of hours a day to build up your reserves. They're already pretty big for an Academy student, but they will be a lot bigger by the time you make genin. You already seem to have good chakra control anyway."

"Why meditate?" Minato asked curiously. That wasn't something they covered in the Academy.

"It's to get to know your chakra on a deeper level. You'll see and feel how it moves inside of you. When you try to learn different jutsu, you'll find it easier because you know what your chakra is likely to do when you combine it with the hand signs for whatever technique you're attempting. It's also something you have to master if you want to become a Sage."

"Like Jiraiya-sama and you?" Naruto nodded.

"I'm a natural at using Nature chakra. The chakra you gather from your surroundings such as trees, earth and air. But Ero-sennin isn't as good at it as I am. So if you master the art of meditation, you'll learn a lot faster if you want to walk the path of a Sage."

"I could become a Sage?" he asked incredulously. There was only a handful of known people who'd ever managed to become Sages, and he could count them on the one hand.

"Sure, why not?" the boy shrugged, "It is as they say;  _The sky is the limit._ You can become whatever you'd like."

_Sage,_  Minato toyed with the idea and found that he liked it. It didn't sound so bad. And from what he knew then both Jiraiya and Naruto were Sages along with Orochimaru. Those were the only three known Sages in Konoha. That was alive at least. Senju Hashirama was also a known Sage when he was alive.

"But first," Naruto smiled, "Let's get that headband of yours."

Minato smiled brightly, "So, what's next?"

The boy fluttered his eyelashes, "How fast are you _really?_ "

Minato gulped. Horrible foreboding settling in his stomach as his friend dragged him further down the river.

"You're going to run as fast as you can on the water, all the way down to the lake in training ground six. And I'm going to be chasing you so you better run as fast as you can, or you'll be walking back home in boxers." Naruto sniffed the air, "And most likely in the rain as well. I bet that would leave a nice first impression on Ero-sennin, wouldn't you say so?"

"Fine." The boy decided, "You better keep up Naruto."

Said boy snorted, "Please. It'll be a while before you can outrun me-" _I think_  "-so let's not go there just yet."

"Suit yourself!" Minato began running as fast as he could on the surface of the water.

It didn't take very long for him to disappear under the water, Naruto waiting for him as he broke the surface with a gasp. The chunin smiled innocently, "Congratulations Minato; you're so slow you came in third place in a two man race. If you keep this up, I'll be able to measure your speed with a calendar."

Minato pulled himself up with a bright blush on his face, quickly set off in a run once more.

Kurama cackled with laughter all the way to training ground six.


	21. Home sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm sitting here, withholding chapters because I tell myself that I don't need to update more than once a day(if even that) but you know what? I don't care if you don't want more than one a day. I don't have to listen to you. I can do whatever I want! I'm a grown-ass woman and you don't know where I live!
> 
> *Pulls out a torch and pitchfork*

Naruto held up the front door, allowing Minato to step inside first. The moment Naruto closed the door the sound of a loud and angry scream, something that had a canny resemblance to a slap and thundering footsteps met their ears. As such Naruto took hold of Minato's hand, pulled him to the side and opened the front door just in time to let out a murderous-looking female. Once she was gone Naruto closed the door again, face entirely flat and trying to ignore the obvious questions of Minato's face.  
  
"I told you," He sighed. Jiraiya walked into the hallway, one of his cheeks carrying a large red hand-print with a lecherous grin on his face, "He's an idiot."  
  
"Who's this?" Jiraiya wiggled his eyebrows.   
  
"Give me a break Ero-sennin." the boy sent him a tired glare, "You know who this is. And he's living here now."  
  
"One day you'll regret disrespecting your elder's brat!" The man then pouted, "I'm supposed to be your father."  
  
" _'Supposed'_ being the keyword here." Naruto pulled Minato into the house, the boy speechless and not sure of what he was meant to say. The two of them were _arguing_. Except, Minato noticed, their body language didn't indicate any hostility. Were they joking?  
  
"Cheeky little shit," he grinned and ruffled the boy's hair, "Well, I'm getting some take-out. You two want anything?"  
  
"Ramen."  
  
" _Except_  Ramen."  
  
"I don't need your permission on what I can and can't eat!" Naruto looked the man up and down, "Especially not yours. Why'd you get slapped anyway?"  
  
"Oi! I'm an excellent parent; I'll have you know!" The man said incredulously, but then he grinned wickedly, "And I only told Mako-chan that she inspired me."  
  
Naruto grimaced in disgust, "You're lucky she didn't kick you in the balls."  
  
"That would be a crime against humanity." Jiraiya declared sagely. "Food. What do you two want? Noodle soup with grease and," he pointed at Minato who couldn't find anything to say. The two of them were throwing his head into a loop. "Two noodle soups with grease."  
  
With that Jiraiya left the house and Minato blinked and turned to Naruto who merely sighed yet again. "Don't even ask. You'll stay wiser not understanding the crap going on inside of this house." Naruto pulled the boy into the kitchen. The place was _huge_. Far bigger than three people would ever need, much less two people.   
  
"Kitchen. Use whatever you want in it. Actually, use whatever you want inside the house. The only restriction would be our own rooms, I guess. An unspoken rule of respecting personal space and stuff like that. But you're free to go into my room if you want to. It's a mess though. You'd be saner if you kept away from his and..." he adopted a thoughtful expression, "I suppose the dojo is open at all hours of the day. We do our morning routine in the backyard."  
  
"You have a dojo?" the boy's eyes widened, practically sparkling. "Can I see it?"  
  
"Of course." Naruto walked past a couple of rooms, living room, a library, a couple of studies and a whole room dedicated to fuinjutsu and then they reached a pair of sliding doors that led out to the backyard. "It's that building over there." he pointed across the yard.  
  
In the back of the yard was a large white building that looked like another house extension. It had the same white walls with black roof-tiles as the main house. Minato also saw a somewhat large pond, a meditation circle, a couple of practice dummies for aim-practice and then some specified for taijutsu training. The place was a playground for shinobi hopefuls. Which is also why Minato's eyes sparkled as he pointed at the various things, making sure Naruto saw what he did.   
  
Naruto mere looked on in amusement, having to coax the boy into following him to the dojo. You could walk underneath a long roof extension all the way there, so if it was raining you wouldn't get wet and you didn't need any shoes due to the porch path. When he pulled the sliding door to the side, Minato sucked in a breath. The inside of the room was divided into different sections. One part was covered entirely in metal from floor to ceiling. One was simple tatami mats and the other was a wooden floor. However, what really caught his attention was the huge variety of weapons that hung on the walls. It was everything from huge Odachi swords to the smallest of needles.   
  
"If you find a weapon you like then you can probably find a scroll about it in the library." Naruto explained, "But from what I've seen you're more about speed and flexibility. If you use something too big, you will slow yourself down."  
  
Minato had to agree. But it didn't stop him from staring at the humongous swords on the wall. "Can anyone even use those things?"  
  
Naruto looked up at the Odachi swords. Swords that was longer than a fully grown man, "I don't know about you, but if I saw someone with a sword like that, I'd think they were trying to compensate for something."  
  
"Naruto!" Minato turned to the boy, mildly scandalised and laughed, a small blush on his cheeks.   
  
Minato continued down the dojo, the weapons becoming smaller and smaller in size. There was everything from various Yari spears, Naginata's, Nagimaki's, Ninjatou's, Daitou's, Wakizashi's, Tantou's, Bo-staffs. An Eku- something that looked suspiciously like a rowing paddle, a massive Outsuchi hammer, a multitude of fans such as; Uchiwa's, Gunsen and Tessen fans in different kind of metals. There was also Axes of various shapes and sizes; Masakari's, Kuwa's and Ono's. After that was a large section of Testubo and Kanabo maces which made the blond boy blanch. There were metal nails at the end of them. Needless to say, he didn't  **ever**  want to get hit by one of those or he'd resemble a pincushion.   
  
Next up was a full selection of different lengthed Kyoketsu Shoge. It was a weapon Minato had never seen before. It consisted of a metal circle on one side of a long leather band with a two pointed dagger on the other. Probably for people who didn't want to get into close combat.  
  
Next was Kusari-Fundo that was a long chain with two metal balls on each side. It was also in the section with the Kusarigama that traded one of the metal balls with a Kama blade.   
  
The Chigiriki looked scary, so he quickly moved towards the Tonfa that varied in the material it was made of. Everything from stone, metal and wood. There was also a pair of Jitte there.  
  
The following section appealed to Minato a bit more. It was smaller weapons, the length of an adults forearm at most. There was a variety of shuriken daggers, Sai-swords, Nunchaku, double-edged Kunai, regular Kunai, Shuriken stars of various sizes, Fuuma stars, Suntetsu, Shobo, Makibishi and also an interesting-looking section of different Tekagi-Shuko. It was basically strap on claws.   
  
Naruto reached for a pair of Neko-Te and placed them on his fingertips, mimicking cat claws and hissed, getting a humorous smile from the other boy.   
  
"You have everything in here." Minato marvelled, "How're you supposed to pick one?"  
  
Naruto shrugged, placed the Neko-Te on the wall again and reach for a large Sodegarami. He leaned forward, spun it around on his back and then around himself and practically danced around the thing. "I just use what I think looks cool," he admitted. "My sword is the only thing I need, but it's nice to be able to handle other weapons too."  
  
"What's that?" he pointed at the staff-like weapon in the boy's hand.  
  
"A Sodegarami. Those two over there are Tsukubou and a Susumata. We use a lot of them on Uzu along with Yari spears and Katana. A lot of fuinjutsu masters there engrave seals on them to help channel different elemental jutsu and to cause a bit more damage."  
  
That made sense. From what he'd seen of the shinobi from Uzu they seemed pretty large and strong in their build. No doubt they were very strong physically.   
  
"I never really thought about other weapons." Minato admitted and turned towards the section of Kunai, "These just seemed like they were enough."  
  
Naruto leaned into the Sodegarami and used it to support his weight, "Most people just use Kunai. It's not really necessary to use anything else, to be honest. But sometimes it's better to have a more reliable weapon that can handle opponents with more unusual weapons. I mean, imagine going up against someone with a pair of Tekagi-Shuko with a simple Kunai. That sucks, let me tell you." Naruto moved over to the Sai-swords and took hold of one of them, swirling it around his hand until he tossed it up and took hold of the sharp end of the blade and held the hilt for Minato to take, "These wouldn't hold you down like a Katana would and they're built for speed. Try it."  
  
Minato did. He took hold of the hilt and felt the rather comfortable weight in his hand. It wasn't too heavy but not really all that light either. It didn't feel like they would break if he tried to parry a sword. Honestly, the boy liked them.   
  
"You could always design your own weapons." Naruto mused, "I read about some guy that designed his own Kunai to react to his chakra."  
  
"Can you engrave Kunai with seals too?"  
  
"Of course." Naruto said, "I'd do it if I weren't so damn lazy. It takes a lot of time. You'd have to do it to every Kunai in your possession. And," he gestured to the whole dojo, "in case you haven't noticed- we have  _a lot_  of weapons."

"That's true." Minato agreed, but the idea lingered. He decided to place it to the side for the moment. "I like this thought." he placed the Sai-sword on the wall again, "When I get a little bigger I think it would suit me."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"How did you decide on a Katana?" he wondered.  
  
"Ah, well, this isn't a Katana." Naruto took hold of the sword on his back, "It's a Chokuto. A straight sword. It's called the Kusanagi no Tsurugi."  
  
"The Grass-Mowing Sword?" A smile on his lips.  
  
"I'll admit, it's not the coolest name I've ever heard and probably not the thing I'd call it if I were the original owner." The chunin looked down at his sword and frowned, "But I heard it got its name after cutting down over a hundred grass shinobi. So it's not all bad I suppose."  
  
"How did you get it?" Minato accepted the sword as Naruto handed it over to him. It was quite heavy, he thought. It just showed how much stronger Naruto currently was.   
  
"I needed a sword that fit my build, so I looked around and found it in the Bingo-book. Some random bounty had it so Ero-sennin, and I tracked him down and took it."  
  
Minato's eyes widened, "You killed someone for it?"  
  
"Of course." Naruto chuckled, "That's how the world works Minato. All of the weapons in here come from different places in the elemental nations. Taken from fallen opponents and found in the ruins of destroyed homes. Wars are like that. Looting isn't uncommon." He sheathed his sword, having taken it back from the boy, "When you collect bounties you sometimes collect their weapons as trophies. That's why bounties with renowned weapons have a higher price on them than other shinobi. Villages don't want to lose valuable weapons. They're practically national treasures."  
  
The boy nodded and looked around the walls, "This isn't all of them, is it?"  
  
"Not even close." Naruto answered, "We considered an armoury, but we decided to store them in scrolls instead and put them in the library. These are the ones we use for practice."  
  
"I think," Minato said after a while, the two of them leaving the dojo behind, "I want to design my own Kunai in the future." He didn't want to take a weapon from someone else. He'd much rather make one of his own. That stuff might be for Naruto and Jiraiya, but he didn't want to do that. It didn't feel quite right to take something that held value to someone else. Minato knew shinobi did that, but that didn't mean that he had to do it as well.  
  
Inwardly, Naruto sent a  _'thank you'_  to the heavens that he was already moving in the direction of the Hiraishin. It would be kind of cool if he could recreate the three-pronged Kunai that he became known for using.   
  
"Let's fix your room?"  
  
Minato had forgotten about that, "That might be a good idea." unless he wanted to sleep in a pile of clothes.   
  
"We might have to buy you a couple of things since you didn't have that much stuff but it should be alright for a while." Naruto and Minato headed up the stairs and came to a corridor. It was a relatively wide hallway with cream coloured walls and pictures of Jiraiya and Naruto in various places. It made Minato wonder how they'd taken all the pictures.   
  
He found himself stopping, looking at each of them in silence. A small smile tugging at his lips at different ones. It was everything from Naruto sitting on top of a large dark-orange toad with a massive sword to Jiraiya peeping in the Hot springs.  
  
"That's your summon?" Minato stared at the ginormous toad. Which, quite frankly, looked totally badass. He had a long black coat, a white obi belt, a necklace with a single large pearl, a cigarette and the **massive** sword.   
  
"Yup. That's my familiar, Gamakichi." Naruto tapped the picture next to that one, "That's Gamabunta, Jiraiya's familiar. They're father and son."  
  
"Gamabunta is older?" Naruto nodded as Minato took in the sight of the giant red toad with a similar, but a longer sleeved coat, white obi, sword, pipe and a nasty white scar across his right eye and down his cheek. "Are they all that big, summons?"  
  
"Nah. They come in all sizes. The most famous ones; the snakes, slugs and toads become pretty big. The Messenger toads can be the either the size of dogs or mice. Depends on what you want to use them for. Gamabunta is the Toad Boss. I suppose Gamakichi received an honorary seat next to Gamabunta when I became a sage like Ero-sennin. It's not exactly common to have two active summoners in a single contract."  
  
"I don't think it's very common to have a summoning contract at all." Minato smiled at the boy who nodded sheepishly.  
  
"Well, I'm the old man's apprentice so he'd better. Besides, I'm better at it than he is. He needs to summon Grandma and Grandpa toad to enter Sage Mode." Naruto said smugly, "I don't need that. I can send off a clone, let it meditate for a while to gather nature chakra and then let it pop itself, and I'll enter Sage Mode in an instant."   
  
Minato knew a lot about chakra theory. He'd read more than he cared to admit and if he knew one thing about chakra then it was that it was incredibly easy to get overloaded by it. Which you could literally die from. If what Naruto said was true and he used shadow clones that sent back the memories and chakra it used if it dispelled itself... Well, then it would be like receiving a flood of chakra and then be expected to hold it with his bare hands and not drop any. From what he understood- nature chakra was very different from normal chakra. It was dangerous if you didn't control it properly. Which was also one of the reasons so few ever managed to become sages. And here Naruto stood, speaking about it like it was the simplest thing in the world.   
  
"That's incredible." Minato blurted out, the boy staring at Naruto who looked a little surprised but then smiled.  
  
"So I've heard," he said. "Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome." another small blush dusted his cheeks, but Naruto didn't see it. He was already moving towards Minato's bedroom door.   
  
"We talked about you, you know," Naruto said, opening the door to his friend's bedroom. Minato looked into the back of the blonde head, heart-pounding a little faster at the prospect of being the topic discussed between two people such as Naruto and Jiraiya of the Sannin. "About your speed." he clarified, "If you continue to hone it you're going to be faster than anyone else out there. I can already see it," Naruto smiled knowingly, " _Konoha's Yellow Flash._ "  
  
It would be great, Naruto thought, if he could get the same nickname as in his time. It was different worlds in a way, but Naruto had always loved that nickname. It was cool and fit him.  
  
"'Konoha's Yellow Flash'?" If it was even possible, Minato's heart beat even faster, thundering in his chest and threatening to bruise the inside of his ribcage. That nickname lit a fire inside of him. Could he become the fastest man in the elemental nations? Judging by the look on Naruto's face, he believed that he could, and Minato wasn't opposed to the idea. Not at all.  
  
"Sounds pretty cool, right?" Naruto grinned.  
  
Minato smiled right back, "Yeah, it does." but then he hummed thoughtfully, "What about you? Do you have a nickname?"  
  
"I have no idea actually. Usually, you get it from other nations when they put you in the Bingo-book. I haven't looked in the newest edition." Naruto said and was about to say something else when a familiar voice echoed through the house.  
  
"Oi, chibis! Get down here and eat before I let you starve!"  
  
Naruto gave his friend a flat look, "Father of the year, right?"  
  
Despite it all, Minato laughed, following Naruto down to the first floor and arriving at a kitchen table piled with ramen. He would have been surprised- if he didn't know that Naruto ate more than his entire class combined. If it wasn't so fascinating to watch then, he might have been worried about where all the food disappeared to.   
  
"Do we have a new Bingo-book somewhere?" Naruto asked, taking a seat at the table as Jiraiya reached for three cups in the cabinet. "I want to see if I'm in it."  
  
"You are." Jiraiya confirmed, "B-rank." Naruto pouted, "Something about a Yellow Maelstrom or some crap like that."  
  
"'Yellow Maelstrom'?"  
  
The older of the three returned to the table and put the cups down, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a black handbook. He handed it over to the two boys who put their heads together and flipped it open.   
  
It didn't take long for the two to find his entry. The picture was of the blond Uzumaki crouched down on top of a minor pile of dead bodies. He held his Kusanagi in one hand, the blade pointing backwards instead of forward like normal, his arms were blood-stained, hair also showing evidence of something red as well as his clothes but you could barely see it on anything but the vest, cold blue eyes fixed on something in the distance, his blond bangs pulled to the side in a rather spiky mess, the other side had it pulled back in the usual metal clutches and helping to display the orange amber stone earring in the shape of the Uzumaki crest.   
  
All in all; _It looked pretty_ _damn cool._  
  
"Isn't this in Uzu?" Naruto wondered aloud, and Jiraiya let out a 'Mm-hmm.' "Who brings a camera to war?" he raised his brows in confusion and noticed Jiraiya looking at him in amusement.   
  
"Of all the things in the world, that's what you ask yourself when you see a picture like that?"  
  
Naruto shrugged, "What should I be asking? I know what I look like when I fight. I fight with clones, remember?"  
  
"Ah." The man recalled. He'd most likely have more angles in his head than anyone could even imagine.  
  
"You have a kill-on-sight order," Minato whispered, eyes wide with horror.   
  
The other boy looked down and smirked, "Will you look at that. I think there's someone out there that doesn't like me." He smiled innocently.  
  
"It's mostly like because you were that young and participating in the first place. If a nine-year-old could hold his own against jounin, then they're right to put a kill-on-sight order on you. I would too." Jiraiya agreed while Minato gaped at the horrible bluntness. It was ruthless, "They don't want to see what type of punches you'll throw when you grow into your pants."  
  
"Hmm..." Naruto hummed, "Makes sense. Ah, here it is. Konoha's Yellow Maelstrom. B-rank, toad summons, sage- blah blah blah.  _4 million Ryo!? That's **pathetic!**_ "   
  
Jiraiya snorted, "It's pretty good for a shrimp. When I was your age, I'd be lucky if I got C-rank. We didn't participate in anything that garnered attention until the war a couple of years ago. We kept it low-key."  
  
"Bet they regretted that." Naruto mused aloud, skimming through his page and barely noticed the feral grin on the man.  
  
"Let's just say that they should have paid a little more attention to Konoha's up and coming youth."  
  
"You didn't become famous until the war started?" Minato asked. He didn't know much about the Sannin before when they received fame through their actions in the war.  
  
"Aside from being the Sandaime's students, not much." the man said, "We ended up in the Bingo-book on sheer principle. When you have famous teachers other nations want to get rid of you before our teachings can take root. Which is why you'll most likely find yourself in the Bingo-book once you graduate and it becomes common knowledge that you're my student. Naruto is already a menace and a half to deal with on the field. Chances are they'll target you since you're the newest edition and an unknown. They wouldn't want to find out if you'll be a Naruto 2.0 and make grown men weep."  
  
Out of all the things to pick up on, Minato went for the least expected and arguably the least important, "You've made adults cry?"  
  
Naruto looked up from his second bowl of ramen, blinking slowly and then smiling with noodles hanging from his mouth like a beard. He then continued to devour his food.  
  
"Don't worry about it." Jiraiya slurped his own noodles, "You'll be a chunin in eight months- give or take."  
  
"Chunin?" the boy stared at the man, not sure if he'd heard correctly.  
  
"You're training with Naruto, right?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Do you know tree-climbing?" another nod, "Water-walking." nod, "I've already seen you spar with Naruto in the Academy. You're above the average genin level. High-genin right now- and with some conditioning, you'll be high chunin before you take the exam." Minato's mouth fell open, "We'll have to work on your jutsu repertoire and fuinjutsu- did you want to learn that by the way?" Another nod but far more eager this time, a bright smile stretching across his face, "That leaves some leadership training and completing the necessary missions you need to be considered for the chunin promotion. A piece of cake." The man shrugged and Naruto sent an amused smile in Minato's general direction, noodles still hanging from his mouth.  
  
"Can I do all that in eight months?" It sounded like a lot to accomplish in just eight months.  
  
The Sannin merely smirked, "You have two Sages on your team. A Sannin, a student of the Hokage and a perfect sparring partner. Besides, we're not going to have a second genin on the team, so all focus will go into training you. Naruto handles himself for the most part, so there's no need to worry about him. You'll be ready." he reassured.   
  
"For the first month, we'll focus on getting you a bit stronger physically and do a D-rank in the afternoon to give you some experience. With my clones, we'll finish eleven D-ranks a day." Naruto explained as Minato's noodles fell back into his plate, "Should be able to squeeze in a C-rank easily enough, right?" Jiraiya nodded.  
  
"You like reading kid?" Minato nodded quickly, "I love reading." he said. It was one of his hobbies.  
  
"Good. You'll be doing that a lot in the coming months. Mostly fuinjutsu." he admitted, "You can start whenever you want with that. There are countless books in the library. You can use it to your own discretion. We'll be on the road a fair bit to complete the necessary C-ranks you'll need for a promotion. After that, you'll be doing the chunin exams in Konoha with another team. Naruto is already a chunin and can't participate so you'll be on your own there, unfortunately." Minato nodded seriously, "When you get your promotion we'll sign up as a temporary three-man-cell until you two become jounin. I'm already in a three-way partnership with Tsunade and Orochi-teme so I won't be able to go on missions with you after that."  
  
"Why won't you be able to go on missions with us?"  
  
"Partnerships are permanent teammate placements." Naruto explained, "You only get slotted into missions together. They're permanent because you fall outside the normal roster when you enter them. For example, Ero-sennin, Oro and Baa-chan," Minato sweat-dropped at the nicknames, "Aren't the ones you wonder if they'll fit with a particular shinobi. It's the other way around. They look at the roster and see who would complement the Sannin and not get in their way. In a way, partnerships take priority because they're normally the strongest shinobi a village has. Their teamwork grows to be flawless since they always go on the same missions. You basically can't send one without sending the others as well. The only way to get out of a partnership is if your partner dies, defects the village, advance in rank if you're below jounin and.. what was the last thing?"

"Retirement," Jiraiya added. "And getting a genin-team of course. It's optional if you want to stick around until they make jounin or if you want to ditch them to the roster roulette."  
  
"So you're making sure we make it to jounin?" Minato clarified. The man gave the boy a single nod.  
  
"Exactly. When people become chunin, they have a habit of getting comfortable and never try to take it up a notch and go for jounin, and I'm not letting you two slack off and hang around in the chunin ranks. No students of mine will get stuck as simply chunin's."  
  
"Oi." Naruto chuckled, "I happen to be a chunin. Don't insult my rank, thank you. I get enough salt trying to convince people I'm not a genin."  
  
"Yeah? How's that going for you?"  
  
Naruto grimaced, and Minato scratched the back of his head sheepishly. The boy had been accused of lying as late as today. "I'm still working on that," he admitted, much to his chagrin.   
  
The man pushed himself up from the chair, "Well, I've got to head out. Meeting Hime at the bar. Don't stay up." The man waved over his shoulder as the boy's waved back.   
  
"He's very nice." Minato smiled, finishing his dinner.   
  
"He's harmless unless you come from the other side of the border," Naruto said.  
  
"Is he alright with me staying here?"   
  
"We already talked about suggesting you stay here, so, yeah. It was his idea originally anyway." Naruto emptied another bowl.   
  
"I wonder what Shikaku will say when I tell him about this... He's going to laugh though; I'm pretty sure." The blond boy wondered and then smiled sheepishly. "He thinks I have a crush on you."  
  
The reaction was instantaneous; Naruto spit out the broth across the table and into his bowl, noodles hanging from his mouth and liquid dripping from his cheeks and chin, eyes barely inside of their sockets and mouth agape. "He thinks  _what_?" he asked dumbly.   
  
The sight was too much, Minato laughed. Long and hard and tears of mirth forming in the corner of his eyes. Naruto looked  _hilarious!_  
  
"You know yesterday when we talked in the middle of the class?" He grinned widely.  
  
" _That's_  what you talked about?" Naruto snorted and chuckled, watching his friend nod with a smile, "Honestly, you guys." he shook his head, wiped the broth away from his face and popped a clone into existence. "Let's go. Let's get your room fixed up before bed."  
  
"Alright." Minato agreed, standing up from his seat and reaching for his dishes.  
  
"Leave it." The clone said, "I've got it."  
  
The boy stared at the clone in surprise but then nodded, "Thank you."  
  
The clone waved it off, "I'm always on kitchen duty. Ero-sennin can't cook for shit." it then walked off with a tower of ramen bowls.  
  
So, the boy realised, Naruto was the one that cooked in the house. That didn't seem very fair. "I can cook as well," he said as the two of them headed back upstairs.  
  
The chunin looked over his shoulder and then smiled, "It's fine. I like cooking. But if you want to help then you're welcome to. I won't stop you."  
  
"It's not more than right that I contribute with the shores." he argued mildly.  
  
"Ero-sennin doesn't lift a finger in this place. My clones do most of the work while I either train or study. If stuff gets too busy, we'll just hire a maid or something."  
  
Minato jogged up a couple of steps to walk beside the other blond, he leaned forward and looked at the other boys face, "Isn't that expensive?"  
  
"We have a lot of money." Naruto placed a hand on Minato's head, ruffling his hair fondly, "I can do over ten D-ranks a day and receive the pay that would normally be split in four. I have more money than I'll ever need and Ero-sennin, despite his questionable hobbies, is a pretty famous author. He pulls in money from across the entire elemental nations. You don't have to worry about money Minato." he grinned at the boy, "The biggest problem we have is that there aren't enough hours in a day to do everything we want to do."

"Not enough hours?" Minato couldn't quite wrap his head around the idea of being without economic issues and worries. It was something he always worried about. Being an orphan always made you worry about those kinds of things because there was nobody else to worry for you. You only had yourself.   
  
"I've got my shadow clones so I can pick up things a lot faster than other people but yeah, time. I like to train as much as I can, work on my ninjutsu, my fuinjutsu ideas, have a social life in some shape or form, go on missions and all those things." Naruto sat down on Minato's bed and begun to fold all the clothes his clones had dumped on it. Minato took up the seat opposite him and did the same, "There's so much I want to do that I don't have enough time to do it."  
  
"Is the Academy a mission then?" he wondered because it seemed like Naruto was in the active mission roster.  
  
"Yup. C-rank for some bloody reason. If you wondered why all the temporary instructors are pissy about the job- that's why. The pay isn't high enough for the amount of effort it requires. Taketa-san and I got the best deals, to be honest. We get to boss you around more than the others can." he grinned and Minato chuckled. He didn't actually mind because so far he'd had a lot of fun in Naruto's classes. He couldn't see why the others didn't like it. Minato had learned a bunch of new stuff. Although, he wasn't among the ones to walk back drenched in paint and glitter- earning snickers and giggles from the village occupants. Shikaku was particularly grumpy earlier too.  
  
"I think you're a good instructor. Do you want to take on genin in the future?"  
  
"Not likely." he shook his head, "I'm more hands-on. I'm also not as nice as you might think I am Minato. Sure, so far it's only been advice and paint, but it's because you're not in the actual shinobi roster yet and I'll get in trouble if I wound up hurting you. By the end of my two weeks in the Academy, I can guarantee that at least half of you will hate my guts, if not all the temporary instructors."   
  
Minato frowned, "I don't believe that. So far you've done things for a reason. Yesterday you burst a lot of peoples bubbles about what being shinobi really means. Today you made us realise the importance of avoiding damage in combat. The paint was to substitute blood, right?"  
  
Naruto blinked, surprised, but then he smiled, "You're right." he agreed, "Might not have looked very serious but there was a bit more to it than you'd think at first glance. On the bright side, you'd be the least dead out of your classmates."  
  
"Orochimaru-sama hit me a lot of times." he reminded.  
  
"To be fair, if anyone met Oro on the battlefield they'd be dead as well. Don't beat yourself up over it."  
  
"Either way, I trust you." Minato stood up from the bed, took hold of one of the piles of folded clothes and walked over to the large wardrobe. The whole room was a good three times the size of his old room at the orphanage. It would take a while to melt that this was his new life.  
  
"Save that until you've had my final lesson." Naruto said somewhat quietly, "If you feel like saying it after that, I'll make sure to earn it the right way."  
  
The chunin's choice of words caused a sense of foreboding to settle in his stomach. Something about the way Naruto said that made it sound like the final lesson he'd receive in the Academy from Naruto would test his trust in him.   
  
What could be so bad that he believed people would hate him at the end of it?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have an update schedule. I just post them when they're ready. Don't hit me.


	22. From Right to Left

Minato woke up the following day in a slight daze. He could barely believe that the previous day had even happened. Just the day before he'd woken up in his rather cold and dreary room in the orphanage and now, today, he woke up in a warm room three times the size of his old one. The walls were spotless, the window was large and clean, and he also couldn't hear the familiar snoring from Koto.

He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and looked around the room. There was a large open space, a wardrobe in white painted wood, dark grey curtains handing by the balcony window, a small coffee table in one corner with a two seat sofa, a desk and a chair. Then there was his bed, of course, and a nightstand. It wasn't a lot of stuff, but it was just like Naruto said the day before; it would fill out over time. Minato didn't have all that much from the orphanage anyway.

It was a bit earlier than he usually woke up, he noticed. But he was well rested after such a good nights sleep. As such he dressed in a pair of long grey pants, tucked in the ends in his blue shinobi sandals, pulled on a long-sleeved matching shirt and added a blue short-sleeved hoodie on top.

Dressed for the day, Minato took hold of his school books and left his room. He would have gone straight down to the first floor for breakfast if it wasn't for the fact that he had to cross the hallways where all the pictures of Naruto and Jiraiya were. So naturally, he stopped to look at them more closely.

He skipped the section he'd looked at the day before. Instead, he moved a little further down the hallway and into the section he'd not seen yet. There were pictures of a lot of strange places. On one picture there was a bunch of toads sitting on the edge of a large pond, the backdrop that of the major strange-looking trees with mushrooms and large leaves. The colours were unlike anything he'd seen, but in the middle of the pond was a large section of water lilies the size of himself. On them sat two ancient-looking toads. One of them had a  _beard_. Minato bit the inside of his cheek, not wanting to laugh but finding it rather difficult.

Next up were Naruto and Jiraiya on the road. They looked to be camping somewhere, sitting around a fire and eating a cooked rabbit. Naruto looked younger in that picture. His hair was also the one he'd had when Minato had first seem him.

The next picture made the boy linger. It was in another place he'd never seen. But Naruto was standing next to a very handsome man with long dark hair that was pulled up in a pony-tail, he also had braids on each side of his face. The man was crouched down next to Naruto while the blond held out two fingers in a peace sign. He looked really happy.

The longer he looked at those particular pictures, the quicker he realised that he was seeing Uzushio. It was people from Uzushio as well. Everything from random shinobi posing with him or civilians and merchants. There were even some pictures from the camp on top of the Hokage mountain.

"Naruto is really popular..." he whispered, eyes roaming over the pictures and then fixing on the blond boy when he stood next to the Sannin on the streets of Konoha.

The closing of cabinets snapped him out of it, and he spun around, quickly moving to the staircase, walked down and headed for the kitchen where he could hear the sound of cutting.

Naruto stood by the cutting board, chopping up vegetables with practised ease. Once he was done with one batch, he lifted the cutting board and scrapped the vegetables into the soup.

"Good morning Naruto." the boy smiled, something soaring inside of his chest at seeing his friend cooking breakfast for him.

Naruto looked up, raised a hand and gave a small wave, "Yo. The Boss is outside."

Minato let out an 'ah' and gathered that the Naruto in front of him was nothing more than a clone. It felt a little like cheating to make your clones do everything, but he didn't comment in favour of heading towards the backyard.

It didn't take long to reach the open slide doors and step outside on the porch. He found Naruto sitting with his feet in the pond, a blue ice-pop in his hand, shirtless and with his pants rolled up to his upper shins. The moment Minato stepped out from the house Naruto looked over his shoulder, grinned and waved him over.

"Morning Minato. I thought you'd sleep longer than that," he admitted, a little surprised. "Breakfast isn't ready yet."

The boy took a seat next to Naruto, crossed his legs and smiled back, "Good morning Naruto. Were you training?" he wondered. It looked like he was trying to cool down after a training session.

"Yup." the blue ice-pop in his hand had two sticks, so he took hold of them both, pulled them away from each other and split the ice cream in half. Not thinking much of it, he handed one of them to Minato, "Every morning from five to seven. But it's pretty warm today." he waved the ice-pop to emphasise his point.

Minato turned the stick over curiously. It was blue. Like, **really**  blue. Was that healthy? He tried it, seeing how Naruto didn't seem phased by the alarming colour. It was cold, considering it was  **ice** , but the faintly familiar taste of soda popped up on his taste buds. "This is good," he said, amazed. He'd only had a soda once before. He received a can of it from his caretakers on his tenth birthday.

"You've never had a soda ice-pop before?" Naruto stared at the boy, an unreadable look on his face. When Minato shook his head, he frowned. The similarities between Minato's childhood and his own was too close for comfort. "Let me guess," he watched Minato savour the treat, "couldn't afford it?"

"It's all the same for orphans, isn't it?" the boy said softly, eyes fixed on the large pair of koi swimming between Naruto's legs, "We have to get by with the bare minimum."

_Wasn't that the truth._

Minato watched Naruto grimace, but he didn't disagree. Arguably, out of the two of them, Naruto had it the worst grown up. Minato never had to live on the streets.

"The first time I had ice-pop was when I met Ero-sennin." Naruto dropped one of his hands into the pond, patiently waiting for one of the koi to swim up to him. It did, a large orange koi that moved around his hand, allowing him to stroke its back, "You know I told you about how I used to prank him by the hot springs?" Minato nodded, pulling up his pant-legs as well and dropping down his bare feet in the cool water. "I bullied him into training me." he smiled at the memory, "The first thing he taught me was how to summon toads." Naruto laughed lightly, not noticing the incredulous look on Minato's face. Because that was like declaring Naruto, his apprentice before they even knew each other! "I couldn't do it at first." He admitted, "Well, I  _did_  manage to do it. I summoned a tadpole which was the most embarrassing thing ever, and Ero-sennin teased me for hours after that. But somehow I just couldn't get the hang of it. You have to use so much chakra all at once, and my reserves were already huge, so my control was  _atrocious_. So naturally, Ero-sennin decided to scare it out of me." He turned to Minato with a mildly amused look, "He pushed me off a  _cliff_ and expected me to summon or die trying." A smug look morphed onto his face, "I summoned  _Gamabunta_."

"You summoned the Toad Boss on your first successful attempt?" Minato leaned forward, eyes wide and his ice cream dripping into the pond and feeding a pair of happy koi fishes.

"You should have seen Ero-sennins face! I swear, he looked like someone had just stolen his lunchbox. Gamabunta gave him an earful as well. When you sign up with the Toads, you have to pass an initiation." Naruto explained, Minato moving a little closer as he nodded eagerly, finding the story highly interesting, "You basically have to sit on the Toad Boss' head for an entire day while he tries to throw you off. If you pass that test, then you have to drink with him." Naruto laughed, "And let me tell you, their sake cups are  **way**  bigger than ours."

"You had to drink sake with a toad?" That just sounded  _weird_. And Naruto was younger than him! Wasn't there a law about that kind of thing?

Naruto smirked at the boy, "You have to drink sake with  _the_  toad." he corrected, "Besides, I can't get drunk. You know my Kekkei Genkai, right? Well, it's connected to my metabolism, so it treats alcohol as a regular poison and fights it off. Gamabunta was impressed I could keep up with him, so he approved of me. Said ' _Jiraiya-chan was such a light-weight_ ' when he had his initiation."

"That sounds great." Minato laughed and then leaned into his palm, ice cream long since melted and in the stomachs of the koi, "The most amazing thing I've experienced was herding deer with Shikaku." he sweatdropped, "They ate my jacket."

That sounded like something that would happen to him as well, "I heard somewhere that deer like people who play the flute." He mused aloud. Shikamaru figured that out after he played with one when he was watching the clouds. By the time he noticed the first deer in his peripheral vision half a dozen was already napping around him. Apparently, that was how his father found him, took a picture, and showed it to  **everyone**  as blackmail material when Shikamaru slacked off.

Now that he thought about it, Shikaku really had a mean-streak the length of the Hokage monument.

"I didn't know that." he hummed, petting one of the koi. It was a dark grey one with silver flecks on its scales. "Maybe one day I'll get really nice memories like that too."

"Believe me, a month with us, and you'll start questioning your sanity." the chunin snorted, "You sure you don't want to sign up for another team?" he joked.

"No!" Minato exclaimed a little too quickly. Realizing his mistake he blushed, turned his head down slightly and tried to ignore the fact that Naruto was staring right at him, "I- I mean I don't want another team. I like this one. I want to be your teammate Naruto."

It was weird, Naruto thought, how something so innocently said could make him so happy. Nobody had ever wanted to be on his team before. At most people didn't care either way and it was just as good with as it was without him. But Minato made it seem like he wanted him specifically and that made him happy. It made him feel wanted and appreciated in a way he'd never experienced before. That also made him sad, knowing that this was the first time he'd felt wanted for something aside for the deeds he did during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Minato's reasons were untainted. Lacking any selfish motives.

"I want to be your teammate too."

Minato's right-hand clutched the grass tightly, hidden from view but the only thing that kept him from jumping up and down. Naruto wanted to be  _his_  teammate. That stuff didn't just  _happen!_ And as always, well-mannered that he was, he allowed his happiness to project over his face, smiling brightly at his friend.

Life was really great. Everything just seemed to be going  _right_. He'd moved out of the orphanage, he was going to be on Naruto's team, his teacher was going to be Jiraiya of the Sannin(!), and he'd never loved going to school more than he did right now.

"Ah," Naruto blinked a couple of times, "Breakfast is ready."

 

* * *

 

Naruto, Taketa and two other temporary Academy instructors; Kensaku Hamada. A man with short black hair and a scar across his face, mid-twenties and brown eyes. Naruto had spoken to him on several occasions during lunch hours. The second one was Machida Risa. Risa was quite short, early-twenties and a field medic. Her long brown hair was curly, reached her lower back and her eyes were a pale violet.   
  
The four of them stood in front of the principal who in turn stood in the staff-room.   
  
"I'm confident you will manage. It's only sixty children." He smiled, something that vexed all four of them. It wasn't just  **sixty**   _children_. It was a damn hazard to _anyone's_  health!   
  
Hamada had a rather impressive sneer on his face, Risa was looking over the mission details to see if she could find anything that stated if the principal was allowed to do such a thing. Taketa was openly crying, hands pressed together in a prayer with a suspicious doom-and-gloom backdrop. Naruto appeared thoughtful. Sixty kids were a lot for four temporary instructors to look after. Even if they were active shinobi.   
  
"Don't worry," one of the chunin instructors tried to reassure. His name was  Shojiro Kano and the homeroom teacher for the class that Naruto and Taketa usually taught. Next to him stood the homeroom teacher for Hamada's and Risa's class- Shibata Shun. Both of them had short brown hair and brown eyes. Although Kano was much taller than Shun. Shun had a somewhat petite build, and he also wore glasses. "We'll handle most of the organising. It might be easier for us to control the kids."  
  
"Are you saying we can't handle snot-nosed pre-teen shinobi-wannabe genin-hopeful brats?" Hamada pulled his lips back and flashed his sharp teeth. Kano blanched while Risa sighed, Taketa leaned slightly to the side to see the mans expression a little better, and Naruto squinted his eyes, trying to recall what the hell he'd just said.   
  
"O-O-Of course not Hamada-san!"  
  
The man scoffed, "Thought so. But now my schedules all fucked up."  
  
"I spent a lot of time planning it out too." Risa pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.   
  
Taketa sneezed, a little snot hanging from his nose. His eyes crossed as he watched it dangle from the tip.   
  
Naruto shrugged. He didn't plan shit. He just did whatever he thought was interesting and would most likely help them in the long run. He usually got an idea the night before, and then he used his clones to get whatever he needed. Naruto was never one to prepare an elaborate plan and stick to it. Stuff usually ended up in a disaster anyway. 

"Excellent!" The principal clapped his hands and drew everyone's attention back to him as Taketa sucked in the small blob of green. "They should all be waiting in the yard and be ready to leave."  
  
With that he quickly left the room, slamming the door closed before anyone could continue their protests.  
  
"I don't like this." Hamada sneered again, "I feel like someone pissed in my cereals."  
  
"Does that mean you have experience?" Naruto wondered aloud, "Since you said it 'felt' like it."  
  
"I've done a lot more than drink my own piss, Naruto-san. And I'd gladly do it again if I could dump this mission on someone else."  
  
Risa grimaced, "That's disgusting Hamada-san."  
  
"Actually," Shun pushed up his glasses, "Drinking one's own urine when you're dehydrated can save one's life. It's what we teach our students."  
  
The four shinobi looked at the teacher and simultaneously burst out laughing. Cackling as they left the staff-room and two chunin behind. Kano slammed Shun over the back of his head, "Idiot!" he hissed, "You sounded like a fool just now!"  
  
"I spoke nothing but the truth." Shun sniffed. Offended by the reaction.   
  
"Don't drop your random information bombs on active shinobi, Baka!" Kano pinched the bridge of his nose, "Now they'll think I'm some sort of idiot too!"  
  
"I take offence to that." Shun glared, pushing his glasses up once more, "One can never have too much information!"  
  
"Around you, anyone can have too much information." Which was the problem. Shun tended to inform people of even the most obvious things, and it grated on his colleague's nerves. Especially after five years.

* * *

  
  
  
" **SIXTY**  kids?" Taketa exclaimed and scowled the moment they were outside the chunin's range, "Fifteen of them I already know I don't like, and I don't care about the other forty-five. Imagine it. Thirty fan-girls," Naruto visibly shivered, "I've knocked out the worst of it, but that still leaves another fifteen. And you guys teach  **history.**  I mean,  _what._ I just want to go home and cuddle Ran-chan."  
  
"Ran-chan?" Risa inquired curiously.  
  
"It's his cat." Naruto said absently, pulling out a couple of papers from his folder and looking them over, "Do you think can make them simulate catch and detain missions?"  
  
Risa smiled, "You're going all out aren't you?"  
  
He shrugged, "My future teammate is in my class, so I need to make sure he's ready."  
  
"Future teammate?" all three asked.  
  
"Namikaze Minato," he admitted and then frowned. He wasn't supposed to tell people that. Crap. "But don't tell anyone. The old man will flay my ass if he finds out I've told people. Nobody's supposed to know."  
  
"Urgh, you're lucky." Risa sulked, "That boy is a genius. By all means, he should already be a genin."  
  
"Agreed," Hamada sneered at a small boy trying to sneak out from a window. He squeaked, closed the window and bolted down the hallway, "So it's true Jiraiya-sama will take on a genin team?"  
  
"Just Minato." the boy allowed.  
  
"Ooooh, two genin- **Aaaah!!** _Goddammit_ , that hurts!" Taketa hissed, jumping on one leg as he clutched his aching shin.  
  
"I'm a chunin, thank you. If it weren't for the fact that I lacked the required missions, I would already be a jounin. Sandaime-sama couldn't promote me without seeing how I worked in the field."  
  
"Which means you're a jounin in disguise." Hamada grinned wickedly, " _Sneaky._ "  
  
"Something like that." Naruto agreed. Although 'jounin in disguise' wouldn't be entirely accurate. More like 'kage in disguise' but who was keeping track, right?  
  
At the sound of giggling girls, shouting, laughing, talking and just general **noise** forced their moods to turn sour. While Naruto could admit that he liked some of the kids from his own class- it wasn't nearly enough to suffer through a whole day with sixty of them. Frankly, he felt sorry for himself.   
  
Minato was the only saving grace, he supposed. If he convinced himself it was all for Minato than he could endure this upcoming three-day trip to hell. BECAUSE WHY!?   
  
"I think the principal avoided telling us this for a reason. Because if he had, I would have made sure to pack a pair of extra underwear." Risa mourned the lack of showers in the near future.   
  
"Not to be inappropriate Risa-san," Naruto began, "But I can use my clones to pick up a spare set of clothes for you if you'd like. They're already getting me another set."  
  
"Me too?" Hamada asked. Naruto nodded, "Sure."  
  
"Cool. Me too then." the one-legged, jumping man said.  
  
As such the three of them wrote down their addresses on a piece of paper. The boy made another three clones, gave each of them a note and watched them disappear in swirls of leaves.  
  
"Your clones must have a lot of chakra to be able to use a shunshin like that." Hamada mused aloud.  
  
"They have enough chakra to last a whole day." the three of them exchanged a look and then looked back down at the boy, "I'm an Uzumaki. What do you expect?" he raised a single brow.  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
Well, it was  _almost_  the truth.  
  
Kurama was a _secret_.

* * *

  
  
  
Minato was excited, but Shikaku wasn't, and he didn't try to hide it. The blond boy walked in the middle of a small train of sixty children. Naruto was in the front, his clones scouting ahead while the rest of the instructors either spoke with one another or tried to keep as far away from them as possible.   
  
He just found it amusing. It was so obvious who the temporary instructors were and who wasn't. Their homeroom teachers were all for trying to small talk. The others tried not to look irritated and watched the students with poorly concealed resignation.   
  
But Minato knew that they simply didn't like being stuck instructing children when they were overqualified for the assignment. Still, it was funny watching their reactions when the girls fawned over Naruto. He felt sorry for him because Naruto seemed quite horrified at the attention he was getting. Now that he knew him a little bit better it was pretty easy to understand him. Right now he tried to stay as far away from the girls as he could. Not that he could really blame him after one girl practically threw herself at him.   
  
Minato didn't like that.   
  
It was very  _rude,_ he decided.  
  
His excitement wasn't because Naruto was there, not really. Just a little. It was because they were heading all the way to the Nogusa fields. It was a place located half a days travel outside of Konoha. According to the textbooks, the fields had more than fifty different species of flowers in them which is what made them famous. Unfortunately, they were too far from Konoha to allow civilians to travel there regularly to visit. Especially now when the state of the elemental nations was unstable.  
  
But he allowed that thought to be pushed to the side in favour of enjoying how the scenery changed from tall trees to lower vegetation such as bushes and grass.  
  
It took them almost until midday until they reached the fields.   
  
Unlike most of his classmates, Minato wasn't tired. He was full of energy and noted his surroundings. There were some tall trees in the distance, but otherwise, it was just a sea of swaying grass, flowers in amounts that weren't countable and then the pleasant scent that brought a smile to his face.  
  
It was just as beautiful as the textbooks describe. If not more so. There were so many colours everywhere.   
  
Shikaku laid down on the grass, deciding that a nap was well in order unless someone wanted to lose their precious jewels. When the Nara became grumpy, it was best to avoid him. Minato didn't want to experience the boy's mean-streak more than he already did on a daily basis.   
  
A whole series of sneezing caused him to look to the side, noticing Naruto straighten his back as he wiped his nose with a tissue. "I hate this place." he heard the boy say.  
  
Minato felt the corner of his lips tug upwards, not quite able to prevent himself when Naruto started sneezing yet again. It would seem he was allergic to something in the field.  
  
Taketa laughed, patted the boy on the shoulder and received a hard kick to the shin, making the man shout out in startled pain.  
  
"I swear," Naruto sneezed again, "I hate Dahlia flowers."  
  
_Ah_ , Minato turned away from the boy, hiding the secretive smile on his lips,  _Naruto is allergic to Dahlia flowers.  
_  
"Alright student!" Kano shouted over the talking children, "We're assigning camp duty. Gather around! Boys other here and girls over there! Don't dawdle, move it!"  
  
_He'd have to make sure to remember that._  
  
But little did Minato know that by the end of the Nogusa field-trip, Dahlia flowers would be the last thing on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sneezes*


	23. Do or Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *popcorn*

Naruto was sitting in the Nogusa field, weaving together a crown of flowers since that was what everyone else was doing. He was also wondering why the hell they were wasting time on playing with flowers when they could be going through a rigorous training regime that he brought with him. Naturally, nobody gave a shit what he had to say about it. Shun and Kano already had a plan. Apparently making flower arrangements and enjoying the sunlight was training worthy a shinobi.

Hamada was next to Naruto, a straw in his mouth and trying to take a lazy nap on the ground. Taketa was testing which flowers you could eat, chewing on them and then spitting them back out with various faces of approval and 'Fuck no'- reactions.

Risa was all for the flower arrangements. She was helping Mikoto and Tsume weave them together as the three of them sat in a small triangle, Risa facing away from the spitting Taketa.

In front of Naruto sat the clan heirs. The reason for this was that Fugaku, Hiashi and Hizashi had taken to asking the four of them a whole bunch of questions regarding shinobi life and techniques. According to them, the four shinobi were the only ones with relevant information in the Acadamy at this moment in time. Minato sat next to Naruto because there was no other place he'd rather sit, the two of them small-talking. As a result, Shikaku napped next to Hamada, Chouza trying to decide if he should start eating flowers like Taketa and Inoichi peeking over Risa's shoulder to get a good look at the technique she used. He was enjoying the class more than he let on. Shibi was also sitting with them, examining the various bugs that would occasionally move over the flower crown he'd made. It wasn't beautiful, but Shibi cared little for flowers unless they were relevant to his insects.

"This sucks." Taketa finally said and spat out a mouthful of flowers.

"I'm so fucking bored I can't even fall asleep." Hamada agreed, "And there's a stick poking at my ass."

"How come you're not sneezing anymore Naruto?" Risa looked over her shoulder, the question having bugged her all afternoon since he hadn't sneezed since yesterday. All four had taken to skipping the honorifics with each other.

"I removed them all when you guys slept."

"You picked all the Dahlia flowers?" Minato raised his brows and smiled. Somehow it wouldn't surprise him if Naruto did that. It felt like something he'd do.

"Yup."

"Wouldn't your Kekkei Genkai negate allergies as well?" Shikaku asked half in interest and half- not so much.

"I wish." Naruto snorted, "From what I understand if I had allergies before my Kekkei Genkai activating then they'll remain. I can't get any new ones though. It only protects the current me and as I am now, not before."

"How long have you had it, if you don't mind me asking?" Fugaku inquired. The subject was intriguing him since he'd not activated his own yet.

"When I was five." he said, shrugging, "Might have been before but I didn't notice it until I was five."

"Didn't notice?" Hiashi frowned. That sounded strange because how could you not notice a Kekkei Genkai?

"I didn't go around and spontaneously injure myself, so I wouldn't have noticed," Naruto said simply.

"So?" Hamada asked, "How'd you notice?" because he was curious as well.

 ** _'Say what we agreed upon earlier. You need an alibi for Sasuke, kit.'_**  Kurama's profound and dark voiced boomed in his head.

Something twisted inside of Naruto's stomach but Kurama was right. He needed some sort of reason for the way he acted and for the decisions he'd no doubt make at some point in the future.

"My best friend stabbed me half an inch from my heart. I didn't bleed to death or die, so I figured something was up," he explained, ignoring the looks of varying degrees of horror everyone sent his way.

It wasn't really a lie either. Not entirely. Aside from the many time's he'd fought Sasuke while they grew up, their final encounter was different. Darker and much more real than it used to be. Sasuke used the Kusanagi to try and pierce his heart the same way he'd tried to in the Valley of the End during their first real fight. Like that time Sasuke had missed, but this time Naruto hadn't. He could still feel the ghost of a pulsing heart in his hand when he closed his eyes. It was one of the memories he possessed that would haunt him for the rest of his life. The teammate, best friend and  **family**  he'd sworn to do anything to protect... Naruto killed him with his own hands. Ripping out his heart in a fit of indescribable grief and rage after losing his village to the Uchiha's madness.

"That's fucked up." Hamada finally said, a forced lightness in his voice. Naruto could appreciate the effort.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "It's pretty fucked up."

"What happened to him?" Minato found himself asking. But he immediately regretted it when some of them looked at him like he'd just kicked a hornet's nest. Meanwhile, Naruto didn't seem to notice, eyes on the flower crown like usual and hands moving in the same steady manner they had before the sudden dive in topics.

"I killed him." Naruto looked up, something unreadable in his eyes when he looked into Minato's widening ones. He turned to the others, noticing their pale and alarmed expressions, "There was thirteen of us from the beginning. Since we all lived on the streets in the Akasan, we banded together because it was easier to get food and steal clothes that way. It was my turn to go to the Mother for a delivery- moving drugs between different places in the district- and when I got back with a loaf of bread and some rice, he'd killed everyone." Naruto continued, adding a white lily to the crown, "He'd picked up an old rusted katana I used to practice with and killed them. So I killed him in return when he attacked me. I coated my fingers with chakra and split his heart in two."

Out of the entire story, some of it made up and other parts not, Taketa caught onto a particular part, "You must have had pretty good chakra control for you to turn your hand into a weapon like that." Frankly, he sounded impressed. Street kids killing each other wasn't uncommon in their line of work. He'd seen most things over the years.

"I started training under a jounin when I was four. Uzukage-sama appointed Maki-sensei after I accidentally blew apart a house wall when I tried to walk on it for the first time. I had way too much chakra to ignore." He chuckled, "I was basically a hazard to everyone around me when I tried to experiment with it, so I didn't have much of choice. I was planning on enrolling in the Acadamy when I turned six, but I never got that far since I met up with Jiraiya shortly after that whole incident. He said I didn't have to go to the Acadamy. There was nothing they could teach me that I didn't already know."

"I remember one time in Tanzaku Gai," Hamada recalled, "Got a mission to infiltrate some traffickers- real nasty stuff. Drugs and everything. We found a fighting pit for orphans. Apparently, it was the next best thing after dog fighting. Kids in cages and everything. You had that stuff over there as well?"

"Nah," Naruto shook his head, "Despite having an Akasan, Uzushio is pretty clean. Tanzaku Gai is a shitstain, though. The worst gambling town in the entire nation. Nobody with a brain would go there on a vacation unless they worked on the same side as the rest of them. Konoha shinobi go there pretty often, right?"

"I've lost count how many times I've been there." Taketa raised a brow, "It doesn't matter what you do, nothing is better after you leave. It's like the Akasan of Fire Country. At least it confines some of their activities into one place."

"Is that why Konoha has an Akasan too?" Mikoto asked.

"That's right." Risa confirmed, "You can't get rid of crime or illegal activities entirely. The best you can do is confine it, and that's what Akasan's really are. Unfortunately, it's the easiest place for orphans to survive. A lot of drug-dealers and Pimps, also known as Mothers in some areas, use street kids to deliver their drugs to clients because it's harder to trace them back to the seller. If one of the kids get caught, they're easy enough to get rid of since nobody would miss or care about them."

"The Akasan has its own ecosystem." Hamada said, swirling the straw around in his mouth, "Everyone from street urchins to Yakuza leaders. They all play a vital role in the workings of those places. Naruto used to be what you called a 'bottom feeder', living off of the scraps of more powerful men. Also the ones that's the least valuable and most vulnerable. Boys have a bigger chance of surviving than girls because they get taken by Mothers and either sold or blackmailed into the sex industry. Maybe that kid was onto something with killing your friends."

The kids stared at the man in utter shock, not believing what they had just heard him say. It wasn't just insensitive; it was _cruel_.

But Naruto merely shrugged, Hamada wasn't exactly wrong, "Perhaps. But it doesn't matter what reasons he had. Doesn't excuse what he did or how he did it. They didn't ask to die, and it wasn't his call to make. He played God and acted on his twisted beliefs and brought everyone down with him, not caring about the consequences of his actions. The only thing that mattered was his view on life, and everyone else simply had to bend to fit into his mould of reality. So I killed him because he didn't fit into mine."

A smirk stretched onto the shinobi's faces at the boy's words.

"That's words I can live by." Taketa mused aloud. "Life is funny that way; It takes and takes, not giving a damn until you get so fed up with it that you decide to take something from Life in return."

"Eye for an eye." Risa nodded knowingly.

"Life is a circle," Naruto agreed, "Nothing goes unpunished and what goes around comes around. One way or another."

"Is it easy?" Inoichi asked quietly, "Killing?" That gained the attention of the other kids as well.

"Let me guess," Taketa glanced at the boy before smirking, "Your teachers have said that killing is difficult. That the first one is always the hardest?" The children nodded. Taketa snorted, "That's complete bullshit."

Even Shikaku gaped about that. The boy sat up and furrowed his brows in a mixture of confusion and irritation(mostly directed at his homeroom teacher), "Then what?"

"The first one is different for everyone." Risa said, "I threw up after I killed my first opponent. Some seem uncomfortable, and others don't really care. Frankly, for myself, it was the smell that made me throw up."

"Smell?" Mikoto frowned, "Iron from the blood?"

"No," she chuckled, "faeces."

"People either shit, piss or do both when they get cut down or die." Hamada laughed lightly, "They didn't tell you guys that?"

"They didn't," Fugaku confirmed. "It would seem there is a lot of things we have not been informed about."

"But now you've got the chance to ask." Risa smiled at the boy, "Don't waste the opportunity."

"But does it get easier?" Hiashi wanted to know, "To kill?"

"I guess you could say it gets cleaner with time." Hamada admitted, "You learn to kill quicker, not as messy and less gore. But yes, at some point you become indifferent to it. If you still hesitate to kill someone after the third or twentieth time, then you're in the wrong profession. The sooner you learn to kill someone the better. You don't have to  _like_ it, but it should never be a hindrance for you and to stop you from performing your duty. It's different to like killing people and doing it because it's necessary. We're assassins,  _hirable killers_. It's part of our job to kill people."

Naruto's knee brushed against Minato's, "When you fight to protect something important to you, it becomes a lot easier to deal with the fact that you've killed someone for it. Because would you rather kill someone or watch the people you care about die? It's not a hard choice. It's harder to kill someone because you're ordered to, and you don't have any reason to do it more than someone telling you to. It takes a lot of discipline to carry out orders like that. But it needs to be done- someone has to."

"Naruto's right," Taketa agreed, "It's what the Will of Fire is all about. The will to protect what's important. To die for the prosperity of Konoha and Country of Fire."

At that moment Naruto's eyes widened, his head snapped to the side, and his flower crown fell out of his hand.

Taketa was instantly alert, Hamada opening one eye to look at the boy, Risa looked over her shoulder, "Anything?" she asked. All four ignoring the alarmed children around them.

"I'm getting different reports." Naruto frowned, looking to the other direction, grit his teeth and swallowed, "I've counted nine so far. It's not too far-fetched to suspect twelve. Three teams. Kumo. Their chakra signatures are suppressed for the most part, but they move like vets. They're definitely jounin."

Risa frowned, "How far?"

"Six minutes. Heading straight for us. They probably have a sensor with them." Naruto then scowled, " _Shit,_ " he hissed at the memories that flooded his mind. He reached up to untie his hitai-ate, removing his chunin vest as well, "No exit points. They're closing in on all sides."

"Alright," Hamada pushed himself up into a sitting position, "You look like you have a plan Naruto. Give us the rundown."

Naruto pulled off his sword from his chunin vest, "From the intel my clones provided they're moving with caution. Which means they don't know our exact location or strength. That indicates that their sensor is either of short range or inexperienced. I'm betting on the later. That also means they don't know I'm part of the protection detail for these guys," he nodded towards the children who tried admirably to hide their fear.

"Element of surprise." Hamada nodded approvingly, already liking the idea, "Mingling?"

"Mingling," Naruto confirmed, giving Hamada his sword. The man took it without a single bat of his eyes, "Take these," He pulled out four Kunai from his vest. The Kunai had seals engraved on the hilt, "This is a barrier seal." Naruto explained, holding up the three blades and showing the kids, "Hiashi, Hizashi, Fugaku, Shibi- due to your clan teachings you've got some of the best chakra control in your class. Take one each. When your classmates are rounded up, go to one corner each and wait for my signal. When you get it, activate them with 0.35 amounts of chakra, throw them to the ground and maintain that value for as long as you can. It will raise a barrier around your friends that will prevent anyone aside from me to get through. Is that clear?"

"Understood!" all four of them chorused, pocketing the Kunai.

"I'll inform Shun-san and Kano-san." Risa began to rise from the ground, putting the flower crown on her head and casually making her way over to the other two teachers.

"Mikoto, you cover Fugaku's back."

"Understood."

"Chouza on Hizashi. Inoichi you're on Hiashi. Shikaku on Shibi. Minato, you're going to cover my clone until it pops, that's in the centre. If the barrier falls, I need you to cover your classmates. You're the fastest, and the rest of us won't have the time."

"Understood!" they nodded gravely, moving into a crouch to be able to respond faster.

"We need backup," Taketa stated simply, hand in his back pouch to double-check his equipment.

"Yeah." Hamada agreed, "We're good, but three teams against four jounin and two inactive chunin isn't a good matchup. Especially with sixty kids under our protection."

If anyone was surprised to hear Hamada refer to Naruto as a jounin- nobody said anything.

"Agreed. We need help." Naruto nodded. As such he bit his finger, flashed through a handful of hand signs and slammed his hand onto the ground, "Summon Jutsu!" a small poof of chakra smoke and a little red toad with purple markers and goggles emerged from the smoke.

"Sup! What do you need?" it croaked.

"Kousuke, I need you to deliver a message to Jiraiya asap. We're on the Nogusa fields, twelve Kumo-nin approaching in all direction. They've boxed us in. There's sixty students here, three active jounins, two chunin Acadamy instructors and me. We need backup, or the majority of us will leave in body bags. After you inform Jiraiya head to the Sandaime and inform him of the same. Kumo is a collector; it's safe to say that if they can, they'll take the kids with a Kekkei Genkai and kill the rest. Use a reverse summon stat!"

"Roger that!" Kousuke disappeared in a cloud of chakra smoke.

As he did Risa returned, Kano right behind her as Shun ushered the rest of the kids into a larger group as calmly as he could.

"You four," Taketa pointed at Fugaku, Hizashi, Hiashi and Shibi, "Take positions." They disappeared in an instant, quickly followed by Inoichi, Chouza, Shikaku and Mikoto.

"What about me?" Tsume asked, a growl bubbling up from her throat.

"You're going to make sure your classmates stay inside of the barrier. If they leave, they're dead." Hamada ordered, and the girl nodded, taking off as well.

"Minato," Naruto turned to the boy. He took hold of his vest and put it on his future teammate. Minato stared disbelievingly at him, "You're the fastest of your classmates and the least likely to die from the lot of them, you're already a genin, and as such you must protect them. Mingle with them. If anyone from Kumo breaks through the barrier, kill them. You've got shuriken here, Kunai here, explosion tags over here, smoke bombs there, wire and senbon here. Use them."

Fear pooled in Minato's stomach but the seriousness of the situation won out, and he nodded, taking off and into the centre of the large cluster of children.

"Incoming, 1000 metres," Naruto informed and took off, heading for the centre of the large group of students as well.

Shun, Kano, Risa, Hamada and Taketa took up position around the students, their attention towards the fast approaching shinobi in the distance.

Naruto met up with Minato in the middle of the group of terrified children, some of them crying, trembling or whispering to calm down. The stronger of them boxed in the ones who weren't, prepared to shield them if necessary.

"Don't be scared." Naruto made a single clone that immediately sat down to meditate. He took Minato's hand, forcing the boy to look at him. His fear painfully evident in his eyes, "Your Will of Fire is the brightest one I've  _ever_  seen. You're Namikaze Minato." the hold of his hand tightened, "The most brilliant student ever produced from Konoha. You are the teammate of Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin and Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's Yellow Maelstrom." Minato's fearful and wild eyes slowly turned harder as Naruto continued, "You're Konoha's Yellow Flash." Naruto's face turned fierce, "Show Kumo why  **we**  are the  **strongest**  country in the elemental nations!"

"Hai!"

The two of them turned around, pressed their backs against each other and pulled out a kunai each. They readied themselves and then waited.

They didn't have to wait long. Naruto closed his eyes, counting the seconds before they were close enough.  _There!_  "NOW!!" he shouted, and thin transparent barrier immediately began rising from the ground. It wasn't a moment too soon. The twelve Kumo-nin reached them simultaneously, and fights broke out on all sides with loud shouting and swearing.

Shun clutched his kunai, scared senseless but determined to go down fighting. Three jounin moving in on him, one from the right, one on the left and one from above. He was stabbed by three swords before he even had the chance to dodge; one through the stomach and the other two through his chest. Shun felt his vision get hazy, so much pain coursing through his body that he died before even hitting the ground. But not before one last thought went through his mind;  _What a beautiful place to die._

The moment Shun fell to the ground Kano cried out in grief and rage, slashing wildly at a woman in front of him and cutting her across the collarbones. At the same time, Naruto rushed through the barrier, Kunai in hand and finishing off the job by ramming his weapon into her gut all the way to the hilt.

Kano didn't stop, moving onto the next one that took a broad swing for his head. He barely dodged, rolling out of the way but receiving a kick in the gut and flew backwards and smashed into the barrier, bringing it down because of a startled Hizashi. The boy barely had time to realise his mistake before the two Kumo-nin rushed straight for him and his fallen teacher.

Naruto swore, rushed forward to block the two shinobi but tripped, wire wrapped around one of his legs as another Kumo-nin began to reel him in from across the field. He thrashed against the damn metal and yanked as hard as he could, feeling the wire slowly start to break.

But he wouldn't get there in time.

"Damnit!" he growled as he broke through and pushed himself up. To his mild disbelief, he saw Minato leap forward, shuriken sailing towards one of them. It was a woman, and the random shuriken startled her, making her jump backwards and unknowingly letting the blond student through and allowing him to move under the guard of her teammate.

Minato moved purely on instinct. Mind so focused on protecting his sensei that he didn't even realise what he was doing until it was over. It was the scent of iron that hit his nose first. His hand was dripping, something warm and wet sliding down his arm and cheeks. Suddenly, the man Minato had his hand inside, moved. His katana were slowly rising, but he dropped it.

At that moment Minato was yanked backwards as a dozen Kunai flew towards him, but instead hitting Kano square in the front as he shielded Minato from the sharp projectiles. The man fell face first into the ground- driving the Kunai deeper into his body and only confirming his death.

The boy stared at his teacher, eyes bordering on popping out of his head as shock and horror overtook him. He couldn't move. Barely  _breath._

He didn't realise the woman was approaching until Naruto stepped in front of him, a bright blue sphere or chakra forming in his hand just in time to duck a deep slashing motion and shout, "Rasengan!"

The sphere hit her in the abdomen, causing a scream while at the same time forcing her backwards, making her fall into a useless heap on the group, blood dripping out of her mouth.

There was no getting up from that. Her organs were nothing but mush.

Naruto didn't have time to see if Minato was alright because the sound of Taketa crying out in pain snapped the boy's attention to the far side.

Taketa was boxed in by three jounin, his last remaining arm clutching the gushing wound where his other arm was supposed to be. Naruto moved forward as fast as his legs could carry him, picking up a fallen katana on the way there. He pulled his arm back, aimed the sword and threw with deadly precision, hitting one of the jounin straight in the shoulder and making him scream out in pain. The other two instantly moved back, allowing Naruto enough time to take hold of Taketa and throw him back with as much strength as he could muster.

The man with the katana in his shoulder moved back even further, crouched down and began to pull out the sword slowly. His teammates took the unguarded boy's situation to their advantage. They leapt to opposite sides and ran straight for him.

Naruto growled fiercely, eyes moving between the two shinobi and their Wakizashi. Partners, Naruto noted grimly.

**_Shit._ **

"It's over!" One of them roared, swung his sword and missed. Naruto had jumped up, dodging by using his size to his advantage. Familiar power rushed the boy, feeling another blade pass over his head as he spun around horizontally, landed, opened his palms and slammed them into his two opponents at the same time.  **"Frog Strike!"**  he roared while the two shinobi flew backwards an impressive twenty-two yards, knocking over one of Risa's opponents at the same time.

Someone shouted from behind him right before Naruto cried out in pain.

He'd turned his back on the wounded shinobi and paid for it. A long gash ran from his shoulder all the way to his hip, his wound pouring blood down his back.

Naruto didn't allow himself to acknowledge the pain. Instead, he rushed into the man's guard, doing what he preached to the children and rammed his Kunai into his knee. The man fell forward with another scream. The moment he was close enough to the ground for Naruto to reach- he slit his throat.

The boy looked around himself, narrowly throwing himself out of the way of kunai and shuriken that came from three different directions.

If only Naruto could use his shadow-clones! With all the fighting at close range, his memories would get too confusing, and he'd end up missing something that shot for his head. He'd take a damn Kunai to the brain that way.

Risa was still alive, banged up but living. Taketa was being helped by Mikoto and Shikaku, the two of them pressing their hands onto the large wound to do what they could to stop the bleeding. Hamada was fighting like a wild animal, swinging the Kusanagi around himself like a damn blender.

Naruto closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, pinpointing the shinobi still alive.

There was eight Kumo-nin left. Eight against three.

One of the Kumo-nin heading towards him suddenly veered off, heading straight for Taketa.

"Taketa!" Was the only thing Naruto had the time to shout before he had to hold up his Kunai to block the shinobi on his side.

Mikoto pressed her hands to the bleeding wound. A wound that wouldn't  ** _STOP_**  bleeding no matter what!

"It's not working!" she cried just as Naruto shouted. She sucked in a sharp breath and turned around just in time to raise a hand to protect herself.

Everything slowed down.

From the side, she saw Fugaku move towards her, the shinobi in front of her lowering his Wakizashi so slowly her mind had plenty of time registering that her Sharingan was activated. She stepped to the side, dodging the blade and ramming her fist into his pelvis. Her small fist didn't do much damage, but it was enough of a distraction to allow Fugaku to lean down, swipe his Kunai at the back of the man's knee, forcing him down.

The two Uchiha moved before the man could even believe what was happening.

Fugaku rammed his Kunai into the man's temple, emitting a sickening crunch of bones. Meanwhile, Mikoto's fist found its way to his throat, striking his Adam's apple with all her strength.

Naruto spat out a mouthful of blood. He was sick and tired of the chaotic bullshit going on around him. They'd managed to pull the Kumo-nin to one side which would have to be good enough.

Naruto crossed his hands, making a Clone sign. "Shadow-clone jutsu!"

Six clones popped into existence, narrowly escaping the remaining shinobi in front of him.

The clones took off, three to Hamada and three to Risa. They'd have to get them out of those clusters so he could swarm the bastards with clones. Because of the students, he had to be extra careful with the techniques he used lest he ended up harming them. By the looks of things, the Kumo-nin had similar thoughts because they weren't using any advanced elemental techniques. It only proved Naruto's theory that they were a squadron aiming to collect bloodlines in Fire Country.

"You little shit!" The man growled, kicking Naruto in the head and sending him flying.

Naruto hated fighting with so many kids behind him. Kids who could very well get harmed if he released too much of his chakra in their vicinity. His chakra was potent and strong, like a flood that wanted to cross a creek. It didn't help that Kurama's chakra mingled with his own and mixed them. So if he used too much, then the corrosive nature of it would seep into the air, damage the chakra coils of the kids and end their shinobi careers before it even begun.  
It was different for people with chakra coils that were bigger. Say, genin and above. They wouldn't feel much of anything, discomfort at most.

But, Naruto thought firmly, he wasn't weak, and one of  _those_  should be alright. He was a  **Kage** , and it was time to act like it!

A minor flood of memories confirmed Hamada and Risa were out of harm's way, the clones running back to serve as a decoy. He spun to the side, kicked the shinobi beside him with all his might and sent him soaring towards his teammates that regrouped and prepared to charge once again.

Naruto ran up in front of them all, all his allies behind his back while he crossed his hands into another Clone sign.

"Naruto!" Hamada shouted, the Kusanagi flying through the air. It embedded itself in the ground next to him.

"Stay back!" Naruto shouted when Risa moved to back him up. She stopped, scowled but switched directions to tend to Takeda's missing arm.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he roared as the entire flower field exploded into chakra smoke. War cries followed as Naruto's clones charged forward, fists pulled back while others held Kunai. 

But they didn't pose much of a threat to the remaining seven jounin. One of them jumped up into the air, flashed through a handful of signs and shouted, "Water Style; Water Beast!" his cheeks bloated and water shot out of his mouth, crushing several dozens of clones while the water morphed into a giant bear. It roared, shaking the ground as another of them quickly followed up, "Lightning Style; Thunderbolt!"

The two techniques merged, forming a giant thunder bear that tore through the clones while the rest of the jounin stood back and enjoyed the show.

But little did they know, it was only a diversion.

Two clones stayed back with Naruto who held out his hand; a bright blue chakra sphere taking shape in his hand while the other pumped it with wind-chakra and he coated it with nature chakra.

The technique grew, Hamada shouting to everyone behind him too, "Get the hell back or die!"

Naruto paid them no mind, too focused on the seven jounin in front of him and his technique. He'd rather not blow himself up. The technique grew, splitting the air and emitting a sound like soaring shuriken in a storm, sharp and screeching like nails on a blackboard. It continued to grow, the two clones by his side dispelling. It was like standing in a storm, and the students behind him had to drop to their knees unless they wanted to fall over.

In that same moment, a massive chakra cloud erupted to their side, the size of a small mountain. A toad with dark red skin, a bloody humongous katana in its hand, a damn pipe as well as three massively pissed Sannin standing on its head. The students screamed, the pressuring wind from Naruto's technique along with the summon knocking them over as the stronger, steadier ones could barely believe their eyes.  _This kind of thing didn't just happen!_

It was the  _Sannin_.

But their eyes didn't linger on the three legendary shinobi. Instead, it was drawn to the blond boy who'd fought to defend them all.

The boy leaned to the side; black pupils slit to the side and golden orbs shining with dangerous intent. He raised the swirling, screaming sphere of retribution and roared, "SAGE ART; RASENSHURIKEN!" Naruto threw it, the technique tearing through the field, colliding with the thunder bear and tore it to shreds. But it didn't stop. The jounin behind the bear was smart enough to move, but only four of them got out in time as none of them expected it to  _expand_.

The technique  **roared** , expanded, growing in all directions and rotated so fast it was digging itself into the ground, the scream of agony tearing through the air from the three jounin caught in the technique.

Jiraiya was in the field in an instant along with Orochimaru who ran so fast over the field that they became nothing but blurs to the eyes of the children. Orochimaru jumped up in the air and shouted, "Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes!" hundreds of snakes shot out from his long sleeves, littering the ground with snakes that slithered at alarming speeds towards the four remaining Kumo-nin who began to realise that they were royally fucked.

The Kumo-nin screamed, fighting to get rid of the hundreds of snakes that began to encase them to both hold and strangle.

Jiraiya wasted no time, "Earth Style; Swamp of the Underworld!" The ground underneath the jounin turned to mud and they begun to sink, all four thrashing and shouting curses but prevented from using any hand signs due to the snakes. The Sannin wasn't done, "Hidden Art; Toad Oil Bullet!" as one could guess, oil shot out of the man's mouth and into the mud surrounding the Kumo-nin. But just as the oil made contact to the ground, Orochimaru's voice echoed over the field, "Fire Style; Fire Dragon Bullet!"

The entire swamp area was lit alight, horrifying screams of men being burnt alive rose into the air, sending traumatising chills down the spines of those that heard.

After that, it didn't take long for everything to fall eerily silent. The wind was gone, and so was the song of birds. Not a single word being spoken as Naruto slammed his knee into the ground, panting and finally dropping his Sage Mode.

It was done.

It was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Taketa's left arm. 
> 
> You will be missed.


	24. Whispers of the Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive feels ;_; <3

"How are you doing kid?" Jiraiya crouched down in front of Naruto. The boy looked up, grimaced and shifted his weight, "All things considered, pretty good." He muttered, "Jiraiya," his voice took a deeper tone, the man frowned and leaned closer. Naruto didn't use his real name unless he was serious, "If you didn't arrive when you did I could have hurt them. Kurama filtered my chakra the best he could, but there's no natural filter in my seal anymore. We share chakra pools and around kids their age... I'll fry their coils. My chakra is too potent and corrosive against undeveloped coils."

"Sage Mode?"

"Untainted," Naruto confirmed, "But without Kurama, I can't hold it nearly as long. Five, maybe six minutes. Fighting without him doesn't feel natural anymore, and it's a major handicap. I need to go back to Mount Myoboku and train because this won't cut it. I could have taken them out easier than this. I  _should_  have!"

"Oi!" He placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing down so that he had Naruto undivided attention, "Right now you're nine-years-old.  _That's_  not natural." He lowered his voice, "You're a Sage, but you're not as strong as you used to be- not right now. You will be, but it's going to take time. You did the best that you could with the tools at your disposal. None of this was your fault, and if it weren't for you, these kids would all be dead or kidnapped. Reflecting on what you could have done better is all well and good, but you need to look at what you accomplished as well. Despite the situation, you lot got off lucky."

Naruto turned to the side, eyes moving to Tsunade who was reattaching Taketa's arm. Thankfully, it got severed with a sword so if it was attached again- it could heal properly. It would never be the same, the chakra system was cut off so he'd never use chakra in his left arm again- but at least he had one.

At least he was alive.

His gaze landed on Shun and Kano, both being taken away by Orochimaru, so the kids didn't have to look at their dead instructors anymore. His stomach twisted, regret and anger forcing his fingers to twitch restlessly until he clutched them into a fist. Naruto clenched his jaw, eyes roaming over the dead Kumo-nin.

It was so easy to hate them. He never used to hate Kumo or any other nation. But this era was so different. Kiri killed his clansmen, Iwa as well. And now Kumo killed his friends. He might not have known Kano or Shun that well, but he knew them well enough to know that he didn't want them to die.

So much anger and hatred mixed with his blood that he didn't even notice how he glared at the dead with such contempt that Jiraiya was taken aback.

"What happens now?" Naruto asked abruptly, turning back to face his adoptive father.

"Sandaime is sending two teams with carriages to pick up the kids and then we're all heading back to Konoha. I suspect there will be a funeral tomorrow, so no school. After that we continue like usual, I suppose." The Sannin looked at all the kids in the distance, "How did they handle it?"

Naruto's lips turned downwards grimly, "They all watched their sensei's get cut down like weeds. It's the same thing Taketa, and I told them would happen in a situation like this. From what I saw Minato had his first kill too. He froze up and would have died if Kano didn't step in front of him. The whole thing is a damn mess."

Jiraiya nodded, lips pressed into a thin line. It wasn't an ideal situation and knowing Minato; the boy would blame himself for Kano's death. "When we get back to Konoha, I'm going to talk with sensei about the instructors in the Acadamy, and you'll talk with Minato."

"Me?" Naruto asked incredulously, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Out of the two of us, right now he'll listen to you more than me. You're important to him." The Sannin stated, "From what you've said about your classes, you've been right so far. They're more likely to listen to you than a random no-name."

"You're hardly a random no-name." He argued, a brow raised.

"Perhaps, but I'm not  _Uzumaki-sensei_  either. They trust you kid. All of them."

Naruto sighed and sat down properly in the grass, his back aching terribly as Kurama worked to heal him. It was slow going. It would take a couple of hours at least. "Fine... I'll talk to him. Did you find anything with the Kumo-nin? A document, scroll, anything?"

"Orochi-teme is searching them. Head over and help out when you've pulled yourself together." Jiraiya dodged a fist heading for his face, smirked and winked at the boy as he left.

" _'Pull myself together'_ ," Naruto grumbled irritably, " _'Oh, I'm sorry, I was almost cut in half. Give me a minute to catch my breath.'_ Idiot. Such an idiot."

"Did you hit your head too?" Tsunade appeared behind him, crouching down to heal his bleeding back.

"I did, actually." Naruto said, crossing his arms and sniffed, "Thanks for asking. You're the first."

The woman couldn't help but smile at the obviously irritated blond. No doubt Jiraiya was an idiot again, "You did really well from what I've heard." She began to stitch the large gash back together as Naruto chose to remain silent, "Making a plan on the fly and everything. Not a lot of people can come up with a plan like that in such a short amount of time."

"Yeah," he agreed, "It also failed  **spectacularly**."

"Maybe. But it wouldn't have happened if one of the kids didn't get frightened and lost concentration. The plan was good. The people executing it was the problem. You used the best tactic with the best people available. The best available wasn't good enough. It happens. Doesn't mean your plan was bad."

Despite how angry he was with himself he could acknowledge that she was right. He'd done everything he could and kept the collateral damage to the bare minimum. Even if that meant two dead chunin.

"It's hard," He said quietly, leaning into his right hand and covering his eyes, "Protecting so many people at the same time. Keeping track of them, eyes everywhere and still fighting to protect me."

"It is." She agreed. "And it doesn't get easier."

"But that's just it, isn't it?" His voice turning a little bitter as she saw the scowl on his face, she furrowed her brows in confusion, "Maybe it's arrogance speaking or just stupidity; but I felt like I was alone. Like no one was covering my back. We're not a team, I know, but we should have coordinated better. We should have been  _better_  than that."

Tsunade was silent for a long moment until she spoke again, attention fixed on his large wound that slowly mended itself, "When we became chunin our team split up." Naruto blinked, he didn't know that. Jiraiya rarely talked about his genin or chunin days. "I went from team to team, getting slotted into random matchups for almost a year. Orochimaru and Jiraiya too. It wasn't the same." Her hands travelled lower on his back, "The same level of trust and coordination we had didn't exist in those teams, and it grated on our nerves. We couldn't perform to the best of our abilities because we didn't trust the others to get out of the way or assist at the right time."

"That's why you formed a three-way partnership, isn't it?" Naruto glanced over his shoulder, "Because you didn't feel as strong as others?"

"Some people need a partnership, and others don't. If you felt like that, then it's because you need a partner who you can trust explicitly. You're not imagining it." The young Senju assured, "It's going to take time for you to find one. Someone that can match your insane prowess but when you do- you'll feel invincible. But then again you should already know that feeling," she smirked, "In a way, you already have a partnership like that."

Kurama grinned wickedly.

Naruto felt the corner of his lips turn upwards, "Yeah, I can do anything with Kurama at my side."

Tsunade smiled softly, "I have to admit; I'm a little jealous of you."

" _Why?_ " Because that just sounded silly. His life  **sucked.**

"You didn't notice, did you?" She shook her head in exasperation, "Honestly kid. When you move across the battlefield, people stop and watch. It happened all the time in Uzu. I can't believe you missed the way those kids and jounin looked at you just now."

"Looked at me?" Naruto tilted his head to the side, turning to look back at the large group of either crying, hugging, whispering or... staring children. They stared at  _him_ , "Oh..." he said.

"That technique you used was insane; you know that right?"

"Rasenshuriken? Well yeah, it's meant to be. Rasengan is my ace and when I finished Rasenshuriken that became my trump-card. But I can only use it in Sage Mode or I'll turn my arm into minced meat."

"Minced meat?" Tsunade chuckled sceptically.

"It took a while to test it but yeah, pretty much. The chakra acts as a form of chakra needles that puncture the primary chakra system in your body on top of cutting with the wind chakra. Even if you got out of it alive, you'd most likely never use chakra again in your life." The woman's mouth fell open. What the  **HELL**  kind of shit was the kid inventing!? "If I didn't have Sage Mode so I could throw it, it would probably be labelled a kinjutsu."

"Wha- Are you sure that things  _safe_  to use?" She peered over his shoulder, almost done healing his back.

The boy looked up at her and smiled as innocently as he could, "For anyone but me? No **p** e!"

"You're crazy!" The Sannin laughed, ruffling his hair. "Even worse than Jiraiya."

"Oi! That's below the belt!"

 

* * *

  
  


Naruto walked alongside one of the carriages that were just a short distance from Konoha. The entire walk back had been quiet, eerily so. He was on look-out duty and could use that as an excuse not to interact with the kids.

He didn't know what to say. He'd used a technique he hadn't planned on using for a while yet. He was only nine, almost ten-years-old and his 'supposed genius' was bordering on intimidating. Right now he could only pray that it wasn't enough to catch the attention from unwanted people. Naruto had enough on his plate as it was.

Risa was talking to the kids, soothing their worries the best she could while Hamada was resting beside Taketa. The later being unconscious due to the blood-loss. The man would be stuck in the hospital for a few days.

Naruto also learned that Mikoto and Fugaku unlocked their Kekkei Genkai. The two of them could be seen sitting in one of the carriages, leaning against each other and whispering. They were faring well, all things considered. They had each other- had faced the same opponent and arguably shared the kill. The two of them were working it out together.

Absently Naruto thought they would make good teammates. Already supporting each other through tough times.

But that left one boy.

His eyes locked on a boy several yards in front of him. He walked next to a carriage in favour of sitting on it. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he had to walk to keep his mind occupied and perhaps also to avoid people's questions and concerns.

Minato was walking silently, head hanging just a little, a minor slouch to his shoulder and eyes unseeingly focused on the ground. Whenever asked if he wanted to talk to someone, he replied that he was fine. He wasn't; anyone could see that.

But Naruto saw it more than the others. He knew guilt when he saw it, and Naruto found that he didn't like that look on the blond boy. Minato didn't kill Kano. Kano made a split-second decision and died as his duty would have had him do in that situation; protecting his students. If anything, Kano died a hero. Not many could say their teachers truly died for them. Even Shun, while clearly being unfit for the field, died protecting the students of Konoha. For that, the two of them deserved to be remembered as heroes; true shinobi of Konoha.

Naruto knew that didn't make it easier. If you felt guilt, then it was close to impossible to forget. When Ino died because Naruto didn't finish off his opponent like he should have done, his guilt built and grew so large that it almost crushed him. It was at that moment that Kakashi had truly pulled through, and told him about Hatake Sakumo who'd taken his own life due to overwhelming guilt. Kakashi told him about a number of people who mourned his death and the pain it in turn brought to Kakashi while growing up. It was a way for his sensei to tell him that even if the guilt is almost unbearable, it will bring even more pain to others if he gave up.

Naruto never planned to kill himself, of course, but he'd questioned his worth, purpose and value one too many times to not sink into a severe depression.

It became a turning point in his life. After seeing Shikamaru every day in their succession training for both Hokage and Head advisor, it became apparent to him that while Shikamaru didn't openly comment on it- their relationship with each other had changed.

Naruto loved Shikamaru like a brother, the one he could always rely on to help him, no matter how unorthodox the problem.

So when Shikamaru begun to look at him less while talking, rather looking over his shoulder or his feet... It felt  _wrong_. To have one of his best friends, truly  _best friends_ , barely standing the sight of you for something you did due to your own misguided morals about human life and the responsibility you had as shinobi...

After that Naruto never left a fight without making sure his opponent was dead.

Their relationship healed, but it took years for things to turn even remotely back to normal. But the damage was done. It took a long time to earn everyone's forgiveness- much longer to earn his own, but he did. He also took the experience to heart and carried it with him-  _always_. Never forgetting the life-lesson Ino's death gave him. For that, he would always hold her in the highest regard.

Naruto understood what Minato went through, he truly did. It would take a long time for Minato to forgive himself because he doubted that anyone but himself held him accountable for his sensei's death.

The large group passed through the front gate of Konoha, the group getting subbed out by another two teams.

"Naruto," Jiraiya called from some distance away, "Debrief with the Hokage."

He nodded, sending one last worried glance towards Minato who begun to walk back home. His gut twisted in discomfort. It wasn't right to see him walk alone after something like that. While he didn't want to mingle with the other kids right now, it was different with Minato. His duties was a good excuse, but in Minato's case, it kept him away from making sure the boy was alright.

"Coming."

 

* * *

  
  


After the debrief was done, the boy getting grilled about his new technique and praised for a situation well-handled, Naruto left in a hurry.

Jiraiya knew exactly where he was going and why. He'd seen it in the boy's eyes during their journey back. He'd seen how concerned Naruto was growing at Minato's lack of responses. They were funny like that, Jiraiya silently mused, how concerned and worried they were about each other and at the same time how oblivious they were about it. Anyone with a brain could see that the two of them were growing closer and at an alarming speed, but only Jiraiya understood that there was nothing but positive things that would come out of it for the both of them.

Naruto's case was pretty obvious; He needed someone to help him heal what Sasuke put him through. To mend the wounds that he couldn't heal himself. It was something only Minato would be able to do as the person that would hopefully come to replace Sasuke himself one day. At least that's what Jiraiya hoped and prayed for. Minato and Naruto would be good for each other.

For Minato, it was less obvious. The boy was always cheerful- well, he was supposed to be. Jiraiya noticed it the first time he'd taught Minato; loneliness. He was a boy who could make friends with anyone and everyone, and he grew to do just that with age, but as a small child, he was just as lonely as Naruto. The only difference was that everyone around him didn't mistreat him. But it didn't change the fact that Minato yearned for a home, a family and someone to call his friend. Sure, he had Shikaku, but that friendship could only extend so far when you got slotted into different teams and divisions.

As this was the case; Jiraiya decided to visit Yuri-chan and spend the night there.

Meanwhile, Naruto opened up the front door of his house and hurried inside, albeit silently. Old habits and all that. Shinobi sneaks.

The kitchen was empty, so was the living room and backyard. In the end, Naruto decided just to pinpoint his chakra signature and instantly rolled his eyes when he found that Minato was in his bedroom from the very beginning.

He jogged up the stairs to the second floor, walked silently over to the boy's door and knocked gently. No response. There was only silence. Naruto frowned with concern, opened the door and peeked inside.

Minato was sitting in the middle of his bed, a couple of fuinjutsu books in front of him and knees pulled up to his chest. If he tried to fool anyone that he studied, the closed books would tell people otherwise.

Naruto walked inside, closing the door behind him as he moved closer, reached his hand out and placed it on Minato shoulder.

He didn't respond. Instead, he lowered his head, burying it in his arms and let out a single, heartbreaking sob. One sob turned into several, and before long Minato was crying into his own arms, hiding his sorrow from the world. To all but Naruto.

The blond chunin climbed onto the bed, knelt down behind him and wrapped his arms around Minato's chest. Naruto pulled him toward him, securing him in his arms as he turned his head to the side and rested it on the back of Minato's neck.

His body trembled and shook, his hands clutching his own hair as the pain in his chest grew and grew, becoming more unbearable by the second. Naruto didn't let him go, holding him firmly without wavering.

Minato, despite his current state of distress and bone-crushing regret and guilt, felt Naruto's hand moving up and down his chest to comfort him. The steady beating of Naruto's heart could be felt through his back and his warm breath tickling the skin of his neck.

Naruto felt so alive.  _So_  real and  _so_ steady. Like an unmovable rock in the wild and stormy ocean.

Before long the crying boy leaned into his friend's chest, seeking comfort and protection from his sorrows.

Naruto shifted, taking hold of a pillow on the bed, placed it behind him, leaned up against the wall and gently dragged his friend with him, holding him close and made himself more comfortable. His friend turned a little to the side, settled between Naruto's legs and rested his head on Naruto's collarbone.

Minato continued to cry, Naruto drawing comforting circles on his back while remaining silent. He wasn't ready to hear what Naruto had to say, not yet. He'd need to calm down a little more for that.

Minutes turned to an hour, and it wasn't until then that the boy finally began to calm down.

"It's my fault..." Minato whispered into Naruto's tear-soaked shirt. Eyes closed as he waited for his friend to confirm what he already knew; That he'd killed Kano-sensei. But those thoughts came to a screeching halt when he felt warm fingers brush his cheek, a thumb moving gently under his right eye as Naruto wiped his tears away.

"No," he felt Naruto rest his cheek against his head. His voice soft and understanding, "You killed a Kumo jounin. Not a Konoha chunin. But a Konoha chunin saved your life."

It felt like a rock lodged itself in his throat, "I froze... I couldn't move. I should have  _moved..._ _!_ "

"But you didn't." Minato clutched his eyes shut, feeling more tears burning behind his eyes. "So Kano-san moved you himself- to protect you." the boy's breath hitched, fingers locking around the black fabric of Naruto's shirt as he pressed himself closer, desperately clinging to his words, "Kano-san knew who the King of Konoha is. He died protecting it, like a true shinobi. It might not feel like it right now, but he gave you a gift that is priceless. A life-lesson you will carry with you for the rest of your life."

Naruto let his fingers run through Minato's blond hair, "I, for one, am thankful that Kano-san did what he did." Minato's eyes widened, and he looked up, meeting the boy's cerulean gaze, "You would have died if he didn't. And perhaps that makes me selfish, but I'm not going to forgive you if you get yourself killed before we even get into the same team." A small smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, "But then again, I won't forgive you if you die when we're on the same team either." It turned wistful, "I'd like to say I will never let my friends die... but we both know that isn't true. Not anymore. But," he leaned down and pressed his forehead to Minato's. The boy's eyes were widening even more, and his breath shuddered, "If you die, you won't die alone. If you go down, then I go down with you. If you die fighting, then I'll die fighting right by your side. If you die protecting someone, then I'll die while protecting the same person!  _But I'm not going to let you._ " Naruto pressed a little harder against the boy's forehead, eyes burning with fierce and unrivalled resolve, "I don't care if you're trying to crawl into your own grave, I'll stand in front of you, blocking your path. If you die, I'll find a way to bring you back and smack you across the head for dying in the first place. And-" his voice turned soft and gentle, a rather beautiful smile spread across his lips, "-if Kano-san hadn't shielded you... I would have. No matter the cost."

Minato's face slowly scrunched up, tears burning in his eyes before they poured down his cheeks and temple while he sobbed, clinging to Naruto with every ounce of strength he possessed.

How could someone like Naruto, who was as bright as the sun, possibly exist in a world that was so dark?

"I won't let anyone harm you, Mina," Naruto whispered, burying his face in Minato's hair. " _Not ever._ "

"Naru...!" his fingers clutched the boy's blond hair, his heart thundering like a storm as his soul reached out and whispered to the sun.


	25. One, Two, Three! Shikaku is a Pineapple Tree!

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, frowning with concern.

The boy rolled his eyes yet again, "No, I'm fine. Seriously." That was the fifth time she'd asked if he wanted to 'talk about it'. He was way more worried about someone else, and he didn't need his mothers nagging right now. Because it was just too damn troublesome when she started.

"Are you sure?" She leaned forward across the dinner table, frown deepening while his father sighed quietly. He didn't want to get involved in whatever that was. It was troublesome.

"Will you stop asking me if I'm alright already!?" Shikaku finally snapped, slamming his hands onto the table, the cutlery rattled, "I said I'm fine! I didn't kill anyone, and I wasn't close to getting killed either. Stop fishing for problems that don't exist!" The boy pushed himself up from his seat, startling his already speechless parents as he stomped to the door, "I'm going to Minato." He declared and slammed the door behind him.

Behind the door, he could hear his mother seething, yelling at his father again, "Well, he's your son!"

" _Our_  son..."

"Don't get clever with me!"

"I'm a Nara. I'm always clever."

" _Shikako!_ "

Shikaku sighed. He hated when his parents argued and even more when his mother, who wasn't from the clan, would treat him like a small naive child. It grated on his nerves and patience. It didn't help that his father would just shrug, take a sip of sake and ignore the whole thing. Shikaku was a  _Nara_ dammit!

The boy stomped out of the compound, into the streets and to the right. He continued down the road for a good twenty minutes until he reached a white house with black roof-tiles. It was a large house, similar to his own clan compound and if Minato were to be believed- like he certainly was- then this is where he lived now.

He couldn't help but laugh at the irony. Minato wanted to be on Naruto's team so badly that he'd worked himself to the bone, only to learn that he'd been scouted by the Sannin months ago. And now he was living with them.

Shikaku was happy for his friend, if not a little jealous of the opportunity he'd been presented.

But that was something to think about on another day. Right now he wanted to make sure Minato was alright.

As such he knocked on the gates. Waiting patiently until a pair of footsteps could be heard from the other side, metal clicking and sliding and then how the gates were pulled open.

Shikaku took note of the boy in front of him, Uzumaki Naruto. The boy looked him up and down, "Nara Shikaku, was it?"

"Uzumaki-san." He bowed politely, "I was looking for Minato, is he here?" He inquired.

"Sure, he's sparring with the boss in the dojo." The newly revealed clone stepped to the side to allow the boy inside. He spoke a quiet 'thank you' and followed the clone through the property.

Once they rounded the house and entered the backyard, Shikaku began to hear faint thuds and metal clashing. Mildly intrigued, he nodded politely towards the clone which in turn gestured to the door and walked away while Shikaku peeked inside.

Minato and Naruto were sparring with kunai. Taijutsu incorporated into the flurry of slashes that came from both sides.

"Good," He heard Naruto praise, "That move just now was a bit late, but otherwise you've got a solid base. Small weapons are definitely your forte."

"Your hits are really heavy," Minato panted, "I can barely feel my arms." Even so, he launched himself at the blond again.

"You and I are two different types of combat shinobi. You specialise in speed and flexibility, and I focus on pure strength and stamina. Unless you can do enough damage to me by taking advantage of your speed- you'll never take me down. I only need one solid hit on you, and you're out. Right, Nara-san?"

Shikaku blinked, Minato paused mid-strike and got a kick to the side, sending him to the floor. The boy went down with a thud and Naruto raised a surprised brow, "Why'd you stop in the middle of an attack?" He asked incredulously.

The boy smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, I wasn't prepared for that." His attention fell onto Shikaku who walked towards them. The boy sat down, too tired to keep standing. "What are you doing here Shikaku?"

"Wanted to check up on you and get away from my parents. It was a good excuse overall." He drawled before eyeing the two of them, "Did I interrupt something?"

"No," Naruto said, "Not really. Just blowing some steam." he then turned to Minato, "I'll go pick up dinner. Be back in a bit. Nara-san." With those words, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Not waiting for a reply from either of the boys.

Shikaku's thoughtful gaze wandered to his friend who seemed strangely forlorn in the absence of the other blond. That was strange, he decided. Like,  **really**  weird. Because that wasn't the case just a few hours ago. Unless...

"Did he kiss you?" he asked bluntly.

The reaction was instantaneous; Minato spluttered, waved his hands in front of him as his red face could have lit up the night with how bright it was, "W-what are you saying!?"

"Did. He. Kis-"

"No!" The blond shrieked, "Of course not! Why would you say that?!"

Shikaku shrugged, "You look like you didn't want him to leave." the brunet then smirked, "Did you confess your love for him?" he teased.

Minato's brain was practically pouring out from his ears at this point, "I'm not in love with him!"  _Why was the room spinning all of a sudden?_

"Yes, you are."

"Shikaku!" a kunai embedded itself in front of the brunet.

The Nara laughed while Minato looked like he'd much rather sink through the floor then continue with the conversation, "But really, Minato. What happened? You look like a kicked ninken."

"No, I don't." he pouted, sending a small glare at his friend. He definitely didn't look like a  _dog_.

A single unimpressed brow was his response.

Minato let out a long-suffering sigh. There was no winning with Shikaku. If he wanted to know something, then he'd find out one way or another. "Naru comforted me when I was upset, okay?"

The blond boy couldn't help but grimace when Shikaku's lips pulled into a knowing smirk, "So it's _'Naru'_ now, is it?" he grinned wickedly.

"He calls me Mina." Minato huffed, raising his chin defiantly. He wasn't going to be embarrassed by the nicknames.  **No way**. If people laughed, he'd fight them. Let them try! He'd take them on and then they could try laughing!

"Mina and Naru, sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!- "

"Shikaku!!" Minato launched himself at the boy, completely missing him since he was still too sore and tired from the spar. Shikaku rolled to the side, grinning from ear to ear,

"First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes baby in the baby carriage~ Sucking his thumb, wetting his pants-"

"I'm not listening! La-La-La-La-La-La-" - "Doing the hula, hula dance!", "La-La-La-La-La-La!"

That was how Naruto found them. One of them sitting on the floor singing loudly and the other walking around, covering his ears and going 'LALALALALALALALALALA!!!'

_'I think they're broken, Kurama.'_

**_'Maybe it's something in the air?'_  **he wondered, genuinely worried.

Still, Naruto took a seat against one of the walls, popping open a ramen cup and began to eat; it was pretty nice entertainment for dinner. It was when Naruto finished his fourth ramen that Shikaku noticed the slurping and turned around, saw the blond boy eaten and promptly sweat-dropped. Minato was still walking around, trying to 'LALALALA' his way out of this world. The boy stood up quietly, tiptoeing over to Naruto who watched it all with poorly concealed amusement. He sat down next to him, accepting the offered ramen cup and ate alongside the blond while the two of them watched Minato walk around and make a fool out of himself.

"How long until he notices?" Shikaku asked, slurping his noodles.

"Couple of minutes," Naruto said, completely certain. "I snuck into his room at the orphanage and sat next to his bed for ages until his roommate noticed me." he snorted, "He was reading a damn book."

"Let me guess, Fuinjutsu?"

"Yup." Naruto took hold of another ramen cup, "Fuinjutsu theory sucks. Nobody should be allowed to enjoy it. It's just not right." Being an Uzumaki be damned.

"Agreed." Shikaku grimaced, "I still haven't finished the first book." he'd taken it up as well after Naruto's suggestion. But he wasn't insane about it like Minato who was already wrapping up the beginner levels. He could definitely see the merits with fuinjutsu but the sheer pace Minato picked it up with was bordering on madness.

"Most Uzumaki stay in the beginner stage for like, half a year to a year. There's definitely no hurry."

"So, how'd you pick it up so fast?" he asked curiously.

"Shadow-clones." Was the simple reply as Shikaku instantly felt the green monster of envy crawl forward from underneath his bed. "I'm pretty unique even among the Uzumaki. They can use shadow-clones too, but only I can use them and sort through all their memories without turning my brain to soup. I've studied fuinjutsu for like, two hundred years or something crazy like that. And it's just as boring as it sounds."

Suddenly that green monster crawled back under his bed, placed bricks around the edges and began to sing- much like Minato.

"How many subjects do you even train a day?" the Nara shivered.

"Ehm.." Naruto raised his hands, counting on his finger, "Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu detection, Kenjutsu, fuinjutsu, traps, meditation, nutrition... what else is there..." he squinted his eyes, trying to remember as Shikaku simply stared at him, mouth half agape.

"I think that's everything. Oh," he snapped his fingers, "Sensor training. And then I do ten D-ranks a day, but that doesn't take very long." Naruto slurped another set of noodles.

"What," Shikaku said flatly.

Naruto grinned, noodles hanging from his mouth before turning back to watch Minato walking around, still keeping up his odd mantra.

"Why's he doing that anyway?"

"Because I said he looked like a kicked puppy when you left. So I sang a song for him. He didn't like it," he nodded at the blond, "He was very rude about it."

Kurama cackled, the fox already taking a liking to the Nara with a rare sadistic streak. Kurama would never tell Naruto but he thoroughly enough watching the chibi Yondaime suffer. After all, he'd been sealed by the man. It was a bit petty, but it's not like anyone could stop him or call him out on it. He was a bloody Biju so he'd like to see them try unless they wanted a bijudama shoved up their ass.

"NARU DIDN'T KISS ME!" Minato suddenly shouted. "YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS!"

Naruto dropped his empty ramen cup, eyes almost popping out of his head. Kurama sucked in a breath before he slammed his palm against the ground and  **howled**  with laughter. Shikaku leaned forward, placed his head in his hands, tears coming down his cheeks from laughing so hard that he could barely breathe.

Meanwhile, Minato pouted, cheeks puffed up and face red from a mixture of a blush and irritation.

Suddenly something soft soared through the air, hitting the blond in the head. Minato whipped around, prepared to give the Nara another earful, only to see Naruto staring at him- completely speechless, a faint blush on his cheeks. Dumbly the blond pointed at the Nara,  _'He did it.'_

_Minato wanted to **DIE! WHY WAS NARUTO THERE ALL OF A SUDDEN!? WHY!? WHHYYYYY!?**_

"Were you here the whole time?" Minato whispered, mortified as blood rushed to his face. The boy slowly sat down on the floor, unable to take his eyes off his new friend. Would it look silly if he threw himself headlong into the wall and hoped one of the weapons killed him?

Naruto swallowed thickly, glanced to the laughing Nara, ignored the laughing Kurama and locked eyes with the blond boy across the room, "In my defence, I didn't think you'd say that. I would have told you I was here... I think. Maybe."

"I didn't... I didn't mean-"

"No, of course not!" Naruto reassured quickly.

"I don't want to ki-kiss you! No! Wait- I mean, I don't think you're BAD I just, What? Wait, No, I didn't mean that! I.. " Minato felt smoke rise from his head, "I DIDN'T KISS YOU!"

"I can't take it anymore!" Shikaku slammed his fist to the floor repeatedly. His chest and stomach aching from the strain, "Stop talking Minato!"

"I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!" Minato threw back the empty ramen cup by his feet.

"But you just did..." Naruto's eyebrows shot up to his hairline in confusion.

"SHUT UP!" Minato sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening with horror, "NO! I didn't mean that!" he began crawling forward desperately, "It's Shikaku!" he mourned pitifully, "He's being terrible! He's a liar! He just wants to make me look stupid!"

"I don't have to do a lot for that." Shikaku wiped his continuous tears with the back of his hand. It was just too good, "Why are you crawling!?" he continued to laugh.

"I'm nOT CRAWLING!"

"Oi," A new voice said, "What's going on here?"

Nobody answered the Sannin. Naruto looked up in bewilderment, Minato pressed his forehead to the tatami mat, and Shikaku clutched his stomach.

"Well, this kid's parents are at the gate. I'll be taking him with me." The toad sage reached down for Shikaku, flung him over his shoulder and eyed the two remaining kids suspiciously, "Whatever you ate, don't eat it again." he said before leaving with a cackling Nara on his shoulder.

"Mina..?" Naruto began sliding closer to the chibi Yondaime, "Are you in there?" he knocked on his head gently. Minato didn't respond, only whimpered pitifully as he mourned his life. Naruto pressed the side of his head to the floor, scooting closer to the blonds face that Minato had covered with his arms. He peeked inside, "I have food." It didn't work. Naruto bit the inside of his cheek, a smile stretching over his lips as he used one of his fingers to poke the boy's cheeks, "It's super tasty ramen." he cooed, "Are you hungry?"

"I'm not hungry," Minato mumbled quietly. Frankly, he just wanted to die.

Naruto smiled a little brighter, "But it's ramen, Mina." he pressed his face underneath the boy's arm, entering the small hideout.

The two boys came face to face. One of them with small tears welled up in his eyes while the other smiled brightly, mirth shining in his. "Let's go eat ramen Mina," Naruto tugged gently at his side-bang, "Shikaku-san is being yelled at by his mom for leaving home so late." he grinned, a small smile finding its way onto Minato's face as well. "Let's celebrate his suffering?" he asked.

Minato sniffled and smiled a little brighter, "I'm not very good with embarrassing things..." he admitted.

"I think it's cute." Naruto grinned, totally missing that it probably wasn't what Minato wanted to hear at that moment. "I'm not cute..!" Minato instantly buried his face again, but Naruto wasn't one to admit defeat so easily. "But Mina," he pressed his face forward even more so that he was right underneath the boy, "Being cute is far better than being a pervert like Ero-sennin or looking like a pineapple like Shikaku-san."

The chunin saw how Minato's lips begun to pull to the side. He was trying to stop himself from smiling. Naruto pressed onwards, "We can fill his whole room with pineapples if you want?"

"His whole room?" Minato whispered, sniffling again. He didn't dislike that idea.

Naruto frowned playfully, "His whole room! And then we can fill his fridge, and his bathroom as well and switch all of his school books to pineapple calendars. Then we can henge one of my clones to act as an alarm clock and hide it in his room, and when he goes looking for it- he won't notice it, and it will drive him mad. And then we can switch all his clothes to pineapple suits."

"Where would you get all the pineapples?" his smile slowly returning and his blush beginning to settle.

"I can make thousands of clones and henge them." Naruto grinned.

"You're silly." Minato finally chuckled, smiling brightly down at his friend who smiled right back.

"Just a little bit." he admitted, "But so are you."

"Just a little bit."

 

* * *

 

Shikaku tried to ignore the stinging pain from his ear. His mother was holding his ear, stomping her way home with him, scolding him as loudly as she could while he pointedly ignored everything she said. Shikako was eating an apple and pretending he didn't know either one of them.

Frankly, he didn't care if he got scolded and grounded for a month. His mission was completed, and it was also a complete success. He'd aimed to cheer the blond up, and he'd managed to do just that.

While somewhat unorthodox, when Minato was embarrassed he seemed to always get Naruto's attention. So, logical as he was, he'd done his best to embarrass his friend to the extreme. Perhaps Minato was even a little bit upset, and if he was then, Shikaku was certain Naruto would comfort him again and then Minato was sure to feel much better.

It was totally worth it.

Because what was friends for?

 

* * *

 

That following Friday there was an abundance of pineapples in Konoha and a very irritable Shikaku.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Minato sat on the back porch of their home, eating water melon and celebrating a job well done.

 

* * *

 

"Hey, Mina." Naruto spat out a round of water melon seeds. Minato looked up from his book. It was Saturday, and the two of them sat on the back porch again, either training or enjoying the nice weather.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to learn something. From me that is," he said, spitting out another round of seeds into a bowl.

Minato closed his book, turned to face his friend and tilted his head to the side, "I learn things from you all the time Naru."

Naruto smiled, "Not like that. I meant a jutsu."

"A jutsu?" Minato parroted, not certain he heard correctly. Because it almost sounded like Naruto wanted to teach him a jutsu!?

"A jutsu." he nodded, " _My_  jutsu."

"Your jutsu?"

"You're repeating everything I'm saying."

"Sorry," Minato smiled sheepishly.

"I made a technique a long time ago. Suppose it's my signature technique." Because that was ALMOST true.  _Technically_. "It's called the Rasengan," Naruto explained as Minato frowned thoughtfully. He didn't remember seeing that technique before, but he did recall hearing Naruto say the name during the skirmish on the Nogusa fields.

"What does it do?" he asked.

"It's an offensive technique that you hold in one hand. It doesn't require any hand signs, but it's an A-ranked technique, so it's pretty dangerous. It's close range. It's also hard to learn because it requires a lot of chakra control." He took another bite of his fruit, "I have a patent on it so I'm the only one allowed to teach it and I was wondering if you wanted to learn. I was planning on asking when you made genin but I figured you wouldn't complete it until then anyway. So, do you wanna learn?"

"Yes!" Minato didn't even have to think about it. Of course, he wanted to learn Naruto's signature technique! That was  _awesome!_

"Alright," Naruto wiped his hands on his pants, clapped his hands together and then straightened his back. "There are three stages to this technique. Those are required since you have to learn how to control your chakra better. You have to complete the first stage before you can continue to the next and you can't try to make the final product before you complete them all, got it?"

Minato nodded seriously.

"This technique is all about chakra manipulation. Check this out. Don't touch it but look at how the chakra moves." Naruto held out his hand, channelled it with chakra and begun to form a bright blue sphere in his hand.

Minato's mouth fell open, eyes shining with interest and giddy anticipation. That jutsu looked  **AWESOME!**  He leaned forward, gaze zeroing in on how the chakra moved like a minor storm in his hand. It hummed, almost like the wind but still not quite. It was hard to explain. But what he did understand was that the technique in Naruto's hand was the same technique, at least a part of it, that he'd used right before the Sannin arrived to assist against the Kumo-nin. It was the technique that howled like the wind and created a crater so large a big chunk of the entire field disappeared.

The technique was definitely not a toy.

He remembered how shocked he'd been after seeing Naruto use that beast of a jutsu-

"Is this the first stage of the technique you used with the wind chakra?"

Naruto, a little surprised, shook his head, "Ah," but then he frowned thoughtfully, it kinda was. "Not exactly. Actually, it's kinda hard to explain. This is the Rasengan. The jutsu I used against Kumo is called the Rasenshuriken. It's a large Rasengan with elemental manipulation thrown into it. But not even Jiraiya have managed that one. You need to be a Sage to even use it, or it'll turn your arm to minced meat. The Rasenshuriken is classified as a kinjutsu to everyone but me since I'm the only one that can use it. This is a technique anyone with good enough chakra control can learn if they know the tricks. Which," he leaned forward, coming face to face with a startled Minato, "they cannot. You can't teach anyone, alright? I'm the only one allowed to do that."  
  
Minato nodded seriously once again, "Got it!"  
  
Naruto smiled softly. It wasn't more than right that Minato got to learn the Rasengan and he felt strangely happy about teaching him. "Alright. This is the final look you want. Let's see how it works?"  
  
The other boy bobbed his head up and down, grinning from ear to ear as Naruto walked to one of the bouldering in the yard. He pulled his hand, "Rasengan!" the sphere drilled itself into the rock, knocking off chunks of it while at the same time turning the entire centre to dust.   
  
The moment Naruto was finished, he back away, allowing Minato to survey the damage.   
  
He did, eyes sparkling as he marvelled at the damage the small orb had done. "That's incredible!"  
  
"Ready to learn?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"The first stage is all about chakra control. If you attempt this without it, you'll just hurt yourself. Use this," he tossed him a water balloon from seemingly nowhere, "You want to burst it with your chakra. You need to understand how your own chakra moves to complete this step. You'll feel it with the help of the water churning inside the balloon. Remember how the Rasengan looks."  
  
Minato nodded, "It moves in several directions at the same time."  
  
Naruto was a bit miffed. It took ages for him to figure that out. Well, he was an idiot... Besides, Minato was the original creator. Maybe it wasn't a stretch to think he would pick it up quickly.   
  
"Imagine that and pop it. I want to see you pop ten of these within seconds of each other before I let you move onto the next one."  
  
"Got it!" Minato furrowed his brows in concentration.   
  
Nothing happened.   
  
This was going to take a while, Minato mused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all need a friend like Shikaku. He's a real pineapple bro <3


	26. Clarity

Minato's brows furrowed in concentration, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he tried, yet again, to prevent the balloon from popping. It was difficult. Very difficult. The first step was fairly easy when you compared it to the last step. Popping a balloon filled with water was hard but not frustratingly so. Now, the leather ball was another thing entirely. That's when he finally met some form of resistance in his training. The first stage only took half a day in total. The second stage took two days. A leather ball was far denser and required a lot more power, something he'd learned would be required to form the Rasengan in the first place. Never the less, after two days he popped the leather ball as well.   
  
It was now Friday, the last day of Naruto's Acadamy teachings and Minato was pressing in some last minute training before school.   
  
The last stage, a normal balloon in which you had to form the Rasengan without popping the actual balloon, was hard. Bordering on impossible, but when Jiraiya showed him that he'd learned it as well, Minato's determination was renewed with vigour. According to Naruto, if Minato learned the technique as well, then there would only be three people in the entire world that knew how to make it. It would be their signature move as the future team 7.   
  
The mere thought made Minato giddy with anticipation. He was going to become part of the team, one of  _them_. That was sooo cool!  
  
Chakra moved through his hand, pooling in his palm and then, just as he thought he'd finally made it- the balloon popped. The boy let out a frustrated sigh, reached for another balloon but didn't get the chance to continue,  
  
"Mina, we're leaving! You ready yet?" Naruto's head peeked out from the house, surveying the yard for his friend so that they could head off to school and work.   
  
Minato quickly deflated the balloon, grabbed a handful from the small basket in the yard and shoved them into his new dark grey backpack. Lunch training. He'd never had his own backpack before, and he had to admit, it was convenient compared to carrying all his books in his hands.   
  
"Coming!" he called, grinning from ear to ear as Naruto smirked at his appearance. From what he could gather, Naruto thought it was amusing watching him try to learn the Rasengan and training so hard to do it. Honestly, his classmates thought he was insane for sitting with a balloon on the lunch breaks, trying to pop them for whatever reason, but mostly they just saw him frowning at the ball in concentration, having no idea what the hell he was doing. He would have told his friends, but due to Naruto's request at keeping the methods of training hidden, he'd sold the others the idea that it was a simple chakra control exercise he'd found in an old book. Shikaku was the only one to call him out on his lie but didn't pry when he explained that it was Naruto teaching him a jutsu.   
  
But he did promise to show him when he was finished.   
  
If he ever would be...  
  
"So," Minato smiled, "What are we doing today, Uzumaki-sensei?"   
  
The corner of Naruto's mouth pulled up a little, not quite a smile but enough to show that he found the title rather funny. "Did you already forget that Taketa and I said there would be a test today?"  
  
"Ah!" Minato's lips parted in surprise, "I remember! In the arena, was it?"  
  
Naruto nodded, "Yup." he said, "It's going to be interesting to see if anything we've taught so far has stuck inside of your thick heads. But there's only so much you can do in two weeks." he sighed and glanced at the boy, a tired smile stretching across his face, "It's going to be hard for a lot of people."  
  
"I suppose you won't tell me what it is, right?" Naruto shook his head in a negative, "Do you think I'll find it difficult too?" he wondered curiously.   
  
The chunin remained silent, thinking about the possible reactions Minato could get from the test. "There's two of them... and personally I think you're going to have a lot more problems with the second. The first is easy... all things considered," he said quietly. "Just-" he sighed, "Think about _'why'_  alright?"  
  
It was vague, Minato noted yet nodded all the same. Clearly, it was something that was going to be uncomfortable if Naruto rather not talk about it. Because that much was obvious.   
  
As they walked towards the Acadamy Minato remembered that night when he first came to Naruto and Jiraiya's home. When he said that he trusted Naruto completely and got the response that he shouldn't, not yet. But if he could after the final test then Naruto would make sure to earn Minato's trust _the right way_ \- whatever that meant. Which meant that this test would put his trust in Naruto to the test.   
  
But the question was; what could possibly be so bad that he'd lose trust in his new friend?  
  
The mere thought made Minato slightly nauseous.   
  
_Think about 'why'. Think about 'why'_... He'd make sure to do that.   
  
The two of them pulled up beside the Acadamy gates, stopping outside the school.   
  
"You'll meet up with your classmates in the yard and then you'll be heading to the arena together with the principal and homeroom teacher. The rest of us will be at the arena and prepare the test." Naruto explained.   
  
Minato nodded, "Then I'll see you later?"  
  
The chunin smiled softly, "I'll see you later." he reassured.  
  
With those words, Naruto disappeared in a swirl of leaves and reappeared in the middle of the arena.   
  
Beside him was Hamada, Risa, Taketa with his left arm still wrapped up, Otojiro Date and Kitabayashi Saori- both of which Naruto and Taketa hadn't worked with yet. They'd been lucky enough to miss out on the damned Nogusa field-trip in favour of holding down the fort in the Acadamy.   
  
Together the six of them made up the temporary instructors who were still on duty in the school. A couple of them left the week prior.  
  
"Morning," Naruto said and received a few smiles in acknowledgement. After the Nogusa field-trip both Taketa, Hamada and Risa treated him a little different. Nothing bad, but the last remaining sliver of doubt they had about his abilities had been utterly crushed. To them, Naruto was already a jounin and as such, they treated him that way. Naruto most likely saved their lives since there would have been no back-up without him and also no Risa or Hamada. They would have gotten overrun. In their books, Naruto deserved the credit in that skirmish.   
  
"Morning Naruto." Taketa grinned, "Did you drop off the princess?"  
  
Naruto rolled his eyes but smirked, "Princess delivery complete." he bowed extravagantly, "How's your arm? Still can't feel anything?"  
  
"I can move my fingers again." Taketa demonstrated, "Thankfully, I don't need it that much in TI. Doesn't take two hands to torture someone, if you know what you're doing."  
  
"So you'll be returning to regular duty after this?"  
  
"Yeah, thank god. If I knew teaching kids would cost me a limb, I might have tried to weasel my way out of it." he joked, laughing while the rest of them chuckled. "It's gonna be nice to get back to the concrete basement. I kinda miss the place."  
  
"The scent of piss, vomit, blood and gore. Gotta love that stuff, right?" Hamada snorted, "I'll never understand you guys at TI. You're all kinds of messed up."  
  
"We like to call it an acquired taste for the finer things in life." Taketa sniffed, raising his chin defiantly but with a sliver of mirth shimmering in his eyes.   
  
"How do you think they'll take this?" Date wondered aloud. He had brown, semi-long hair with green eyes. He was a rather pretty-looking man in his early twenties. The woman, Saori, nodded, "I'm wondering that too. Didn't some of your kids get theirs already?" Her hair was short and black, eyes blue and with a rather tall build.  
  
"Only three," Taketa confirmed. "But it's still going to be good for them because now they can get over the mental barrier of treating it like a trauma. I think the second part is going to be the hardest. Protecting yourself against an attacking enemy is one thing but executing someone is another entirely."  
  
"Agreed." Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets, "Uchiha Fugaku will do fine in this section. Uchiha Mikoto as well but she'll take it worse. Namikaze Minato should do fine in this one because he knows first-hand what happens when you freeze up in the field. It's the second one that's going to start tripping people up. They'll pass but not without some effort."  
  
"I agree." Risa nodded, "I've noticed that the kids from clans are taking school far more seriously after that encounter with Kumo. It's likely that their parents have talked to them about what they'll be expected to do when they graduate."  
  
"About damn time too." Hamada frowned, "This sugar coating bullshit that's been going on in the Acadamy has got to stop. It's detrimental to everyone inside of that place. Even the teachers."  
  
Didn't they know it. After Shun and Kano died and the four of them reported the encounter to the Hokage, it became glaringly evident that the chunin instructors were out of practice. If someone came for the kids then it was now proven, with two body bags, that the teachers wouldn't be able to protect the children. As such, all the instructors were now required to pass certain physical tests four times every year to make sure they were up to snuff. It was an improvement, but not a permanent solution.  
  
Apparently, the elders were giving the old man an earful about the sorry state of the Acadamy and proposed the idea of keeping temporary jounin instructors in the school until they could revamp the damn thing entirely. A sound idea, Naruto thought. So long as he didn't have to set foot in the school for that reason again.   
  
Suddenly, Naruto felt a familiar chakra signature move through the air. A shunshin, he noted.   
  
"Incoming." he called right before the Hokage, and his four ANBU guards dropped down in front of them.   
  
The six shinobi lined up, straightened their backs and stood at attention.   
  
"At ease." Hiruzen said, eyes moving over the six of them, "Are you certain your students are prepared for this?"  
  
Hamada took a step forward, "With all due respect, Hokage-sama." The Hokage nodded for him to continue, "It doesn't matter if they are ready or not. They will do what is required of them or pick up another profession that suits them better. During our two weeks with the students, it's come to our attention that they don't just lack in general knowledge about the professions cruel reality, but also in what will be required of them the moment they acquire their hitai-ate. If they decide to drop out now then so be it. It will reduce the casualties in the field." Hamada took a step back.  
  
"Is this an opinion that you all share?"   
  
Everyone gave a single firm nod.  
  
The Hokage nodded grimly. He didn't like it but if six shinobi from a variety of departments came to the same conclusion, even a chunin of only ten years old, then he was convinced they were right. He would be a fool not to listen to their advice at this point. It was also an issue they could help correct with Naruto's clones. The whole thing was simple enough, but it was the morality of the test that put the man's decision into question. Yet... they were shinobi. Not civilians.   
  
He didn't have a good enough reason to stop the test from becoming a permanent addition to the school at this point. From the results of today's test, it would be decided if everyone would have to go through this at some point. Even active genin or chunin who'd never received their first kills.  
  
"Very well." he said, "Is everything prepared?"  
  
"The only thing left to do is drop a Genjutsu over the stands to trick the kids to believe that nobody is watching. They don't need to feel the pressure of having their clan-heads there to watch." Saori reported, "Upon your orders, I'll put a C-ranked Genjutsu over the arena. Demonic Illusion; Double False Surroundings."  
  
He nodded, "Medics are in place?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Will the other children be able to watch the encounters with their classmates?"  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"Good. You have my permission to begin."  
  
"Hai!"  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Minato and Shikaku took a seat in a room without windows. Beside them were the rest of their classmates. Minato couldn't stop thinking about Naruto's words. To ask himself  _'why'_.  _'Why'_  what?  
  
"What do you think?" Shikaku asked quietly, eyes roaming over the nervous-looking children. Even Fugaku appeared to be nervous about the test.   
  
Minato followed his friends gaze until they settled on Fugaku and Mikoto, the two of them sitting next to each other, whispering. No doubt talking about the same thing as he and Shikaku did.   
  
"I'm not sure," he admitted, "But Naru told me to ask myself  _'why'_. He didn't specify more than that."  
  
" _'Why'_?" Shikaku pressed his fingers together, closing his eyes as he went through everything they'd learned so far. Everything from the first 'real-talk' with Naruto to the final lesson about tracking and  catch- and detain mission. _'Why'._... _'why'._.. _'Why'_ what?  
  
"We know it's combat." Shikaku finally said, "They said that much the first time they informed us about it. But why are we supposed to ask  _'why'_  in a combat situation?" he frowned, "It doesn't make sense."  
  
"I know," Minato said quietly, watching as Chouza left with a chunin instructor. "But it's something about the way they're handling this exam. It seems like they're putting a lot of effort into making sure we do not see what the exam is until it's our time to take it. Why would they do that?"

"I can come up with a few reasons." the Nara frowned, "One; they're trying really hard to avoid people cheating. Two; they don't want us to use someone else's tactics. Three; since the exam is taking place in the arena, they don't want us to get nervous beforehand if someone is watching... or," His lips pressed into a thin line as Minato felt something foreboding settle in his stomach, "They don't want us to see what the exam is about so we'll get scared of whatever it is. And something tells me it's not because they think we'll cheat."  
  
"Now that you mention it..." Minato thought back to the discussion about trust, "Naru said that at least half of us were going to 'hate his guts' when this was over. I think he's part of the exam somehow."  
  
"But again, the question is how."  
  
"We know it's a combat exam of some sort. Naru is part of it. It's going to test out trust in him somehow. We're not allowed to see our friends take the test. It's occurring in the arena where the Hokage is watching-"  
  
"- If the Hokage is there then so is the clan heads. My father said he had an appointment today and told me to do my best."  
  
"-with the clan heads. I also noticed medics around the place when we entered."  
  
The two fell silent for a long moment, mulling over the puzzle until all thoughts came to a halt at the sound of a familiar voice.  
  
Clarity, terrible and gut-churning clarity washed over them when the sound of Chouza's sobbing echoed through the corridor outside of their waiting room. He was crying uncontrollably.   
  
Minato eyes widened, he covered his mouth with his hand and leaned forward a little, whispering, "Naru said the first exam would be easy for me ' _'all things considered'_ but that the second would be harder."  
  
Shikaku swallowed thickly, fingers tremblings, " _'Ask yourself why?'_ , was it?" he whispered back. "Why are we getting our first kills now?"  
  
Minato was beginning to feel sick. Because he  _knew_ why!  
  
"So nobody does what I did." his blue eyes flickered to his friend, "So nobody will freeze up and get either yourself or others killed. The first is combat..." he begun, putting all the pieces into place, summarising his thoughts, "To kill someone while in combat. To defend yourself. And the other.."  
  
"Is the opposite." Shikaku's mouth was dry, realising exactly what their teachers were going to be asking them to do today, "We're killing someone who's not fighting back." his eyes locked with Minato's alarmed blue ones. "Execution." the blond whispered.  


"It makes sense." the brunet said quietly, "These past two weeks have been less forgiving. Much closer to the real thing and hardly any textbook theory or history. Those jounins scrapped it all, preparing us for what was really out there instead of what our textbooks said there was. I remember Taketa-sensei saying that if we didn't pass, we'd fail the graduation unless we excelled in something special. Which means we'd be stuck as genin and paper flippers until we prove to them that we've got what it takes to kill someone and do what needs to be done in the field. To follow orders."

"What about you?" Minato asked, concerned, "I think I can do it.. but what about you?"  
  
Shikaku leaned forward, elbows pressing onto his thighs and his dark eyes fixed on the floor, "I'll do what needs to be done. I'm the heir to my clan and I've always known that sooner or later, I'll have to kill someone. Honestly, I don't think either one of us will fail either test... But I'm more worried about Inoichi and Chouza right now. By the sound of it, Chouza took his kill pretty badly. The second is going to be difficult. Inoichi isn't the strongest and he prefers to work with the mind rather than get physical so I think the second will be easier and the first harder. But it's hard to say."  
  
"Why would we hate Naru for this? If anything it makes sense to do it in a somewhat safe environment compared to what happened on our school trip..."  
  
"Don't get me wrong," Shikaku glanced at the boy, "I like Naruto-san, he's interesting and helpful. But if there's one thing I've learned from him these past two weeks, then it's to expect the unexpected. I think it's pretty safe to say that this was all Naruto's idea. He's technically stealing our innocence through blackmail. If we don't go through with it, his plot would have worked, and we'll get dropped from the program, our dreams of becoming shinobi crushed. It's only logical to hate the roadblock that forced you to fail."

That was true. Minato had felt the same thing with the training of the Rasengan. The third stage was something he'd begun to hate with a passion. He loved to train, determined to succeed but he hated feeling like he wasn't improving. It didn't help that he couldn't actually see the chakra because of the balloon either. Hate...  
  
Naruto was basically sacrificing the trust people had in him in favour of making sure they wouldn't die in the field. Most would most likely never realise that, and if they did- their animosity would disappear. But then again, most would never realise why Naruto did what he did.  
  
His stomach twisted painfully, finally understanding why Naruto seemed to so down this morning. He didn't want to be disliked but did it anyway because he'd rather be hated than to bury his friends.  
  
_Naruto was so strong..._  
  
"Naru is doing all of this for us, at the cost of himself." Minato's blue eyes burned with determination and resolve, startling Shikaku who stared right at him, "I'm not going to let that sacrifice be in vain."  
  
Shikaku was silent for a moment until he said, with a firm nod, "Agreed."  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Naruto grimaced, the phantom pain of a crushed rib cage and punctured lungs washing over him, forcing a bead of sweat to trail down his temple as he delivered the report to the medic next to him. The medic that filed a report on each of the kills, making sure that the first kills of the students would get put into their future files for their jounin-instructors. It would show them how the kids preferred to deliver the final blow. Brute strength, merciful, or perhaps sadistically slow? Either way, all of it was filed away. But the worst part for Naruto wasn't dying, it was the look on the children's faces when they realized they were going to die if they didn't kill their opponents first.   
  
His heart broke for Chouza, the boy fighting with tears from the moment he realised what the exam was really about. He'd delivered a hard,  _literally_  bone crushing blow to his chest, crushing the bones and giving his enemy a quick death. For what it was worth, Naruto was proud of him.   
  
Even the Hokage seemed to approve of the proceedings, and Danzo was almost pissing himself with glee. The clan heads were quiet, accepting and understanding of the necessity of the exam but you could see the silent resignation to the fact that their kids would change from now on. They wouldn't be the same anymore, and from this day onwards, they would have proven that they had what it took to be excellent shinobi.   
  
But it was with a feeling of dread that Naruto watched Minato walk into the arena. Eyes calculating as they roamed around the open ground. He was quiet, kunai expertly hidden in his long sleeve and also making an effort to silence his footsteps.   
  
A small smile spread across Naruto's lips at the sight. Minato must have figured it out. He was moving as if though he was in enemy territory and judging by the reactions from the people around him, many approved of his approach.   
  
Naruto's Kumo henge'd clone slowly rose from the ground, sneering down at the boy. The clone carried shackles, chains and a metal collar, as if though the man had been a prisoner before this. His clothes dirty, smelled and torn. He looked like a right mess. Like someone who'd not seen sunlight for a long time and was out for blood because of it.   
  
"So you're the one I have to kill to get out of this shitstain?" A sinister laugh tore through his broken throat, "That's too bad," He leered down at the boy, licking his lips, "You're just my type." He prowled forward, watching the boy whose face had turned pale, "I wonder how you'd taste... sweet? Or maybe like blood if you're a fighter. It can get messy sometimes. And sticky. " He grinned wickedly, vile teeth displaying themselves and threatening to turn Minato's stomach over.   
  
"Maybe I'll leave you half dead," he suggested lightly, eyes dark with intent, "And then I'll take you with me... and we can  _play_  in peace."  
  
Repulsed, Minato backed away, allowed the kunai to slip down his sleeve and into his hands.   
  
"I don't think so." Minato grimaced, "You're not leaving this place alive."  
  
The Kumo nin snorted, "Big words for a pretty boy like you. But I bet you can't even handle that kunai half as good as I'd take care of you. What do you say?" he moved forward, shackles and chains dragging on the ground. He leaned down and forward, his dark eyes barely visible through his eyelashes. He grinned, licked his lips again and reached down for the chains of his right hand.   
  
Minato's muscles tensed, repulsed and disgusted all at once. The man was clearly a paedophile and the way he looked at him... it made him want to vomit. Where in the world had Konoha found this person?

"Let me have a little taste!" The man launched forward, chains slowing him down but he was still fast, face twisted into madness as he leapt for Minato, chains swinging wildly.  
  
Strangely enough, the world seemed to slow down for Minato. He took a deep breath, focused on the kunai in his hand and allowed his body to move on its own. Instinct took over, but it was controlled, like a leashed beast just waiting to attack after being deprived of it for too long.   
  
Minato quickly ducked the swinging chains, barely registering the disgusting smell coming from the man. He slid underneath his long arm, spun around just as the Kumo-nin did the same- and thrust his kunai straight forward. Driving it straight into the man's throat, all the way to the hilt.   
  
The man practically gurgled on his own blood, eyes rolling backwards as Minato pulled the kunai out with a sickening slurp. He fell forward, face down while Minato took a couple of steps back, assessed the situation and threw the kunai straight into the man's skull to make sure he wouldn't get back up again. You couldn't be too sure with these things, he told himself.   
  
His head snapped to the side when a familiar voice spoke. It was Hamada. "Namikaze Minato, Pass. Proceed through the western gate."  
  
Minato took a small bow, turned around and walked towards the west gate.   
  
It was when he arrived in another waiting room with a bunch of traumatised children, that he finally sat down and allowed himself to go over what had just happened.   
  
His fingers still dripped with blood, but it was getting cold and dry. It would be best to wash it off. As such he walked over to one of the toilets, only to find that there were children from his class dry-heaving into them. Minato backed away, glanced to the side and noticed a pair of sinks instead. He made his way over, turned on the tap and washed off the blood. He did so in silence.   
  
The shock he'd felt after his first kill on the Nogusa fields weren't there for some reason. This time it felt different. Like he'd already killed the man before he even did it. It wasn't a matter of defence but rather to finish something off. To complete something that needed to be done.   
  
It worried him a bit that he felt so little towards the man he'd just killed. Then again, the man was clearly a prisoner and convicted for something. A prisoner of war, most likely. Obviously a paedophile as well. He frowned, how many children did that man get his hands on before he died? Probably too many.  
  
No, Minato didn't mourn the man's death. Quite frankly he found that it felt almost better this way.  
  
It was twisted, he knew, but he couldn't bring himself to regret or pity the man.   
  
Minato was a shinobi and if that meant killing paedophiles? So be it. That's something he could live with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to add; the reason why there is still blood on Minato's hands after killing the clone will be revealed later.  
> *thumbs up*


	27. Close your Heart and Seal your Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My entire town is without internet ;_; so I'm stealing my uni's. Don't tell anyone!

Shikaku's fingers trembled as he walked to the western gate. He felt sick, nauseous to the point of getting dizzy. It was all over so fast; he'd used his Shadow Imitation technique to catch the woman. After that he pulled out a kunai and dropped it to the ground, backing away until she was close enough to pick it up through his actions. After that, it was just a matter of watching her slit her own throat while he mimicked the action with an empty hand.

It was simple, so  _simple_.

He didn't want to think about it anymore.

 

* * *

 

The moment Shikaku walked through the western gate, Naruto dispelled the clone, receiving the memories of a slit throat and drowning on his own blood. He preferred them like this, quick and clean. If the kids got blood on themselves, then he'd need to channel nature chakra into the clones for them not to pop until the children cleaned up. The blood would vaporise the moment he dispelled them so it would give away the exam.

It was thanks to a medic that walked around in the waiting room that he knew who and what clones he could dispell and when.

 _"Namikaze Minato, subject seven. All clear."_  A distinctively feminine voice buzzed in his ear.

"Namikaze Minato, subject seven. Copy that." Naruto parroted, the medic next to him quickly flipping backwards in the papers to fill in the missing report.

"Cause of death; kunai to the throat- right underneath the vocal cords. Severed spinal cord and damaged spine. Additional damage; stabbed in the parietal bone with the same kunai."

"Alright." The medic nodded, "What's the boy's mental state?" she turned to the Yamanaka next to her.

"Appears to be doing well. He declined the offer of therapy, saying that it was not his first. He's currently talking with Nara Shikaku."

 _Thank god,_  Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead. The memories of Minato killing him would probably haunt him for a while, but he couldn't relax just yet. There was a lot left to do. 

 

* * *

 

Shikaku emptied his stomach in the toilet, Minato stroking his back to soothe his horror and guilt. Minato knew exactly what it felt like and right now the only thing he could do was to be there for his friend.

"It's okay," he whispered gently, "It's over now."

"It's so easy..." Shikaku spoke into the toilet, throat sore and raspy, "I didn't even have to get close. I barely lifted a finger."

"I know. It's scary how easy it is." Minato agreed. Because it was. It didn't take much to kill someone and it only showed how fragile life was. Especially in their profession. People seemed to die left and right. That old glorified dream about epic shinobi battles with fair play and flashy techniques was crushed to dust. Being a shinobi was ugly, dark and less than honourable a lot of the times. It was a respectable profession but that was only because most people didn't understand what it entailed. At the very least Minato was beginning to grasp that and coming to terms with what he would do in the future. Because, no matter what, this was the profession for him- he knew that. He felt it in his bones that this was what he was meant to do in life.

He couldn't help but feel sympathy for the people who weren't cut out for the job but were forced to succeed since they belonged to clans. He'd seen enough traumatised Akimichi's to last a lifetime. Compared to many, Chouza handled it rather well, but even he broke down into tears.

"I think it's over soon," Shikaku said quietly, eyes moving between the people coming and going from the room. "We're almost at the end of the alphabet."

"And then it's the next one," Minato whispered. Dread pooling in his stomach. Would it be the same type of person? Or would it be something completely different?

 

* * *

 

As the last student left the arena, Naruto sat down, sweat dripping from his forehead as he sorted, organised and tried to block all the memories that swam around in his mind like a disease.

It is hard to make the clones act like different people. At one point he'd come up completely blank and was forced to ask Kurama for advice. There were only so many paedophiles, psychopaths and murderers you could mimic without beginning to repeat yourself. 

But he had an advantage.

Uzumaki Naruto was  _the_  master of deception. He was arguably the best person for infiltration assignments and transformations in the entire country. Naturally, most people didn't know that aside from Jiraiya- but he was. Despite being in the Short- to mid range division for combat, his skills branched out into infiltration, information gathering and deception. If he hadn't become the Hokage of his era, he was quite certain he would have been the head of that division. His clones were invaluable.

"How are you feeling?" Risa crouched down in front of him. The boy grimaced, "Like I've been killed in over a hundred different ways."

"Fantastic in other words." Hamada sat down in front of him, grinning. "I think we're doing pretty good so far."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "It's what we expected. This is by far a better alternative than getting people killed. Are Taketa, Date and Saori ready at TI?"

"Yeah, we just got confirmation. Everything is set up. It's just a matter of getting the kids there and starting it up again."

"Will you be alright Naruto?"

The boy snorted, "Ironically enough, I'll live."

 

* * *

 

Minato was apprehensive. The dark and looming corridors of the TI department was eerie and a little bit scary. If the faint sound of screaming weren't enough to scare some of them shitless, then the dawning realisation of what they were going to do would.

The boy could hear his classmates speculating about torture and interrogation, but he knew what was waiting. It was through Shikaku that he'd learned that it was usually on the lowest level of the TI department where the executions were held. So with every staircase they descended, more and more dread began to manifest itself in his stomach. He'd known, but also hoped that he was wrong. With each step that previous theory about the second exam was becoming more and more plausible and it wasn't a nice feeling. For once, he would have wished he was wrong.

Minato didn't have to look to feel Inoichi trembling next to him. Unlike himself, Inoichi had pulled through the previous exam by sheer dumb luck. This time he wouldn't be able to do that and judging by the boy's terrified eyes- he knew that. It wasn't too far-fetched to think that Inoichi knew exactly what was waiting on the last floor of the TI department.

Tsume seemed to be doing well, all things considered, and so was Fugaku and Mikoto. It was practically impossible to get a read on Shibi, but he wasn't upset- at least not visibly. Shikaku was resigned, Chouza's face swollen from old tears and Inoichi was scared, burdened by what was to come. Hiashi and Hizashi stood a little closer to each other than would be considered normal for the twins but considering the current circumstances...

"Move it brats!" Taketa ordered, feeling a little too happy about the squeaks of fright that he received in response. "If you get lost then you'll have to find your own way back. Nobody here signed up for babysitting."

Minato knew psychological attacks when he saw them, and Taketa was using a classic; fear. He made them scared of him and then in return- the environment. Not to mention adding the little bonus of making them feel insignificant to boot.

Not everyone noticed, but a couple of them did. Sending suspicious looks at the shinobi who in turned smirked at them, seemingly pleased.

"Oi, Naruto," Taketa called aloud, startling the kids. The group watched Naruto emerge from the shadows, an entirely neutral look on his face, "Everything set up?"

"Aburame Shibi, you're up first. Go down that corridor and turn right, second door on the left. The rest of you wait in the room to my right."

Shibi nodded, walking down the corridor with Taketa close behind to make sure the brat didn't run off to where he wasn't supposed to be. You couldn't be too careful with these things. The other group- the students- turned to the door to the right, quickly entering.

But just as Minato was about to enter the room as well, Naruto took hold of his wrist and pulled him to the side.

Startled, Minato didn't have enough time to react and stumbled a little, only keeping on his feet thanks to Naruto's firm hold, "Sorry," Naruto said sheepishly, "I just... wanted to tell you something."

The door closed in front of them, the two of them standing alone in the dark corridor.

"We're executing someone, aren't we?" Minato asked softly, almost kindly. The look in the chunin's eyes told him that Naruto was worried and despite the situation, that warmed Minato's heart.

"You really are a genius; you know that right?" Naruto felt the corner of his lips tug into a tiny smile. It didn't last long before it disappeared. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, face turned to the side in shame. "For doing this to you guys. It was all my idea."

That didn't surprise him, not after Shikaku came up with the theory that Naruto was the reason for the exams. But it hurt to see the heaviness on the boy's shoulders- like he was carrying a large burden nobody could know about. It looked so painful and lonely. Especially after realising the consequences of these exams.

Because of that, Minato moved without thinking. He took a step forward, held out his arms and slipped them around Naruto's thin waist, pulling him into a warm and firm hug.

Naruto's mind was reeling, not understanding the boy's reaction at all. He was supposed to be mad at him! Upset and tell him he was a complete ass!

But Minato didn't do that. Instead, he pulled him into a hug that made Naruto's eyes burn.

How could someone be so kind?

"I understand why it's needed." Minato explained, "I'm happy everyone gets to do it like this and not the way I did it. This way none of us will get hurt." he nudged the boy with the side of his head, "Thank you, Naru."

Naruto's arms slowly moved around Minato's frame, guilty and relieved all at once, "There's no way to keep the exam hidden after it finishes. People will know it was my suggestion and they'll blame me for it." he squeezed a little tighter, "You'll be forced to hea-"

"I don't care what they say!" Minato pulled back a little, just enough to be able to see his friends surprised expression, confusion flickering in his cerulean eyes, "Perhaps they don't understand right now, or maybe they never will... but it's better than to see them die," he then smiled knowingly, "Right?"

A lump formed in Naruto's throat, tears burning behind his eyes as he watched the little ten-year-old in front of him. A boy who understood more than his mere age should rightfully allow. Minato really was a genius. "It's enough that  _you_  understand why..."

"I understand why." Minato smiled, bright and beautiful before the two of them parted, Minato slinking into the waiting room while Naruto watched him leave.

Suddenly his birthday didn't feel all that horrible anymore. It wasn't over yet, he knew that, but at least he was aware that he would have a real teammate when it was over.

 

* * *

 

The room was dark, so dark that he couldn't even see the corners or even the size of the room. But he didn't care about the size of the room. His attention was drawn to the person sitting strapped to a chair of metal.

It was a girl, a girl just a couple of years older than himself. Her arms were tied down in several places, held in place by metal cuffs. So were her legs and feet. The girl couldn't move.

Minato approached slowly, noting the table to the left side of her that displayed a single tanto that he was meant to use.

He headed for the weapon first, avoiding to look at her longer than necessary. She was already crying, sobbing quietly.

She knew she was going to die.

As he gripped the tanto, he spun around to make it quick, before she could prepare herself. A merciful death.

But as he spun around, the blade firmly held in his hand and levelled at her throat- Minato froze.

The girl looked at him. Her hair was a common dirty blond, her facial features somewhat average, but it was her eyes that made his blood run cold.

They were blue. But not just any blue- cerulean blue. It was Naruto's eyes. He knew that because whenever they talked, Minato would always look the boy in his eyes. So to see them on someone else, eyes so blue that it put the sky to shame... it was wrong. It was all wrong!

Her lips trembled, pleading with her startling blue eyes, begging him to help her instead of harming her.

Minato watched as they shimmered with unshed tears, pleading and begging.

To his horror, all he could see was Naruto. And he could never harm Naruto. He wouldn't!

He looked away, hands shaking as his body moved on its own. The logical and problem-solving part of his brain was already coming up with a solution. All he had to do was to not look at her. As such, Minato walked around her, stopped behind her and held out his arm, the cold and sharp blade pressed to her throat.

Minato clutched the hilt as hard as he could, willing his irrational fears to disappear- but they didn't. They remained, and the boy let out a shuddering breath. He didn't want to do this. It didn't feel right. It was all wrong.

The girl sobbed louder, realising that her life had come to an end. Minato closed his eyes, steeling his muscles and pulled the blade swiftly to the side.

He couldn't move, her blue eyes haunting him even as he closed his eyes. So the boy was forced to listen as she choked and tried to breathe with a large gash in her throat.

The Tanto rolled out of his shaking hand, falling to the floor with a sharp  _clang!_  He took a step backwards, unsteady and horrified. He'd just killed a girl! She didn't even look like a shinobi! What could she possibly have done to deserve to have her throat slit by someone like him, for a simple test?

This wasn't right. Minato repeated. It didn't feel right.

But deep down he knew that he thought like that because of her eyes. Deep down he knew that even the least suspicious people could turn out to be deadly like the girl most likely was. In all honesty, you couldn't even be sure if the tears were real. But it still felt wrong.

Because all he could see was Naruto.

 

* * *

 

Naruto felt like a horrible human being. A monster. He couldn't say that he knew Minato's biggest fears or even the things that made him the happiest, but he did know one thing; Minato's desire to be his teammate was strong.

So that's what Naruto used. He couldn't henge himself into a female version of himself- but he could give his blood-clone the one feature that anyone would connect with him- his eyes.

The colour was rare and especially  _his_  shade. At first, he'd hesitated, worried that Minato would see through his deception, but he hadn't. He wasn't skilled enough to tell them apart. Not many were if any. But a feature such as that would have left people suspicious. But not Minato.

No, he'd been scared. Afraid of what the girl reminded him of and as such- struggled to complete the task. Just as Naruto planned.

Executions were never fun, but there was nothing worse than coming out of it and feeling like you'd just killed someone who didn't deserve to die. To have killed someone for the simple reason that someone told you to.

It repulsed him, that feeling. But it had to be done. And someone always had to do it.

But even so, despite how guilty he felt, he was proud of Minato. He'd pulled through, each challenge that Naruto put in front of him and he'd pulled through.

Naruto thought back on the smile he received before the test began, finding that it relieved some of the weight on his shoulders. The last thing he wanted, he realised, was to find that Minato didn't like him anymore.

He'd grown attached to the blond boy. A soul so pure that it made him feel like a tainted stain at times. It was ironic how much he could relate to Kakashi all of a sudden. The two of them had a lot more in common now than he was comfortable with. He loved Kakashi, but the man was broken. A broken man that did his best, had to use all the strength he possessed, to keep himself together. Naruto didn't want to be like that.

And he found that when Minato smiled, he'd smile too. He was like the sun.

So watching him through the observation window- Naruto could barely stand it. The Chunin had to remind himself that Minato understood, didn't blame him for it because it didn't feel right to deceive his friend and teammate. It went against everything he believed in.

 

* * *

 

The Hokage stood in front of a large crowd of students. Most times they would be awe-struck and thrilled to be in the presence of such a powerful man. But not this time.

The children were pale; some cried quietly while others looked completely resigned or resolved. It was different for everyone.

But they all had one thing in common; they had all passed.

The Hokage mourned their innocence, but to his own muted bewilderment, he seemed to be the only one among his shinobi. The others stood behind him, satisfied and approving.

It made the older man sad to see. That the life of shinobi made people so numb to children killing people. In any other profession, it would be scandalous but not here. Never here.

"Today you might not see why this was necessary. Perhaps it will take you years, but one day you will understand why this had to be done. As the Hokage of Konoha, I'm proud to see that it will be you who graduate from the academy. Your Will of Fire is burning brightly, and it illuminates this village. You are the future of this village, and it is through you that we will remain strong." The man turned to look behind him, holding out a hand to each side, "I want to thank our temporary instructors for this exam. It was through them that we gained this invaluable opportunity. This is your last day with them. After this, they will return to their missions outside of the village."  _And you might never see them again_ , was left unsaid but heard all the same.

"You've done well." He continued, a kind smile facing them, "Now, go home. Rest and think about what's happened here today. You all deserve it."

 

* * *

 

Minato sat on the back porch of his new home. Stomach hurting but otherwise doing alright. But he was worried. He'd not seen Naruto since the final exam. He wanted to talk to him because he knew that if he did, the girl's eyes would stop haunting him. Besides, it made him feel better to speak to Naruto.

He sighed.

"You make it sound like you have the world on your shoulders." Someone mused aloud, a small chuckle accompanying him.

Minato turned to the side and looked up, seeing the white-haired Sannin, "Sensei!" He called, startled. He had begun to call the man 'sensei' per his request. It made him oddly happy as well.

"How are you doing kid?"

A tired but genuine smile stretched across his young face, "I'm alright. I'm working on it."

Jiraiya sat down next to him, placed a hand on his head, "If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. I might even be able to help."

Minato's smile dropped, and his eyes fell on his lap, fingers intertwined as he tried to stop the girl's face from popping up into his mind.

"Where's Naru?" He asked in the end.

The Sannin smirked because  _of course_ , the boy would turn to him. "He's in his room." He shrugged, "Something about dying multiple times today and a memory overload or something like that."

Minato was gone before Jiraiya could even see him move. So the boy never saw the knowing smile of the man before he was gone.

Meanwhile, Minato raced up the stairs, heart pounding so hard and tears burning behind his eyes as he realised what was going on.

It's wasn't a paedophile or a crying girl. It wasn't a murderer like Shikaku said or a traitor for Inoichi.

It was Naruto all along!

He'd killed Naruto.

Twice!

What had he done? How could he have killed his friend? He should have listened to his instincts, screaming at him that something was wrong with the execution. That it felt wrong and that he didn't want to do it. Because it was Naruto!

The boy stopped by his bedroom door, knocked on it frantically, but received no reply. He grit his teeth- worried sick and pushed the door open without an invitation.

Minato stopped two steps into the room. There was a blue bucket next to Naruto's bed, and the blond chunin himself laid underneath his cover, pale and frowning from phantom pains.

"Naru?" He whispered, taking slow and measured steps towards the bed.

His eyes flickered to the blue bucket, noticing the vomit and promptly turned towards his friend instead. He was sweaty, cold sweat.

It hurt. Knowing that he was part of the reason as to why Naruto was in that condition from the start.

Carefully, almost hesitantly, he climbed onto the bed, over Naruto and onto his side. Slipping underneath the cover and nuzzling into the boy's back.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, a tear rolling down his face, "I didn't know. I'm so, so sorry!"

"Baka." Naruto breathed, "I'll live."

Minato draped an arm around his friend, pressing himself closer, "Doesn't matter! I don't want you to remember seeing me kill you. It's wrong! I should have known..."

"I'm proud of you Mina," Naruto said quietly, "You'll make a great shinobi one day."  
  
"Don't say that all of a sudden."  
  
Naruto smiled despite the churning of his stomach. Despite the horrible flood of memories that tried to sort itself into some kind of coherent chaos. "It's not sudden."


	28. My Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I "might" have noticed that balancing my writing with my new uni studies was a bit... harder than I predicted xD I'll keep updating as much and as fast as I can. But obviously not once a day unless it's like, the weekends or something like that. (I'm not abandoning this fic, ever.)
> 
> Aside from that! From here on out there will be time-skips occasionally to help push the story forward and into more action-packed and fluffy bromance moments. 
> 
> And before you ask; No, Minato never found out that it was Naruto's birthday. He didn't tell Minato and neither did Jiraiya. He'll find out eventually though.

It could have been an ordinary day. It could have been- but it wasn't. In fact, it was as far from ordinary as it could get.   
  
Minato was standing in front of Naruto and Jiraiya, the later sitting on the back porch as Minato summoned a single shadow-clone. He could summon two, but he wouldn't be able to complete the technique if he did.   
  
Naruto was barely sitting still,  _this_  was the moment he'd waited for. Ever since  _then_.  
  
Jiraiya was feeling nostalgic but shared their excitement. It wasn't every day you saw something like this, and he didn't plan on missing out. Even if he was late for a debrief to the Hokage. The old man could wait- this was much more important right now. Surely, Hiruzen could forgive him for it? Probably not, but there wasn't much he could do about it anyway. Not anymore.   
  
"I still don't have enough chakra control to do it alone," Minato frowned, holding out a hand as his clone begun to weave chakra into the palm of his hand. A small sphere of teal-coloured chakra began to grow, taking shape like a growing balloon. It hummed, spinning so fast that you could barely see the chakra threads through the glowing sphere. "But I can do it like this."  
  
Naruto grinned from ear to ear, "You did it!" he jumped up, jogging over to the blond boy who grinned just as wide and brightly. "Now all three of us can do it," he said, his own Rasengan forming in his hand. The orb of chakra was slightly different from Minato's. Instead of the colour teal- Naruto's was cerulean. A distinct difference but that didn't change the fact that it was the same technique.   
  
"You've done a good job kid." Jiraiya praised, joining the two as he held out his own hand, the Rasengan forming in his hand as well, although his chakra sphere took the colour of sapphire. All three being the same technique, but with a slight difference of colour that proved that it was a slightly different _flavour_ to the technique. The three orbs shone brightly, the same size and density, the same power and signifying their unsaid connection to one another.   
  
Jiraiya was happy to see the familiar technique in Minato's hand once again. Even if Naruto was technically the original creator in this time- it was still Minato's technique. The one that would always be the first thing Jiraiya thought about when Minato's name was brought up. _Minato's Rasengan._  
  
Naruto was proud, feeling something warm and a faint bubbling in his chest at the sight of Minato with the Rasengan in his hand. Through him, Minato had learned something that Naruto could only have dreamed of seeing in his old life. He'd seen it a scarce few times during the war, but it was never enough time to stand back and appreciate the sight. Now he could do that without having to worry about a truth-seeking orb crushing his skull. Deep down, the happiness he found inside of himself stemmed from the fact that Minato learned the technique from him. This time the Rasengan wouldn't go from Minato to Naruto, but from Naruto to Minato. Finally, Naruto had something that he could give back to the blond.   
  
Meanwhile, Minato was seconds away from lifting from the ground. He'd worked so hard, his chakra control making it hard mastering the technique. It took him a month to get the size right. It was a rather pathetic golf ball-size for almost the entire period until he focused on expanding his chakra reserves and refining his control. Now, today, he was finally where he wanted to be. Well, not  _exactly_  where he wanted to be but close enough. He'd need to gain more experience with the technique before he could create it without a clone. The focus that was required was hard, but not impossible. In a year or so he was confident he'd be able to use the Rasengan without a clone.   
  
The three sphere's dispersed and the humming disappeared, leaving a small empty void in its absence. But it was missed because of Minato's bright smile; the boy was so happy that tears were forming in his eyes. He'd done it. He'd really done it!  
  
"Now all you're missing is that," Jiraiya tapped Minato on his forehead, earning a startled reaction before it morphed into a slight panic.  
  
"I'm late!" Minato despaired, "I won't make it!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Don't worry." Naruto smirked, "The important people always arrive with style."  
  
Jiraiya smirked, "That rules you ou-" Naruto and Minato were gone in a shunshin. Jiraiya pouted, "Can't even stick around for a good joke these days."  
  
In one of the corridors of the Academy Minato and Naruto reappeared, the two hearing the familiar ringing of the bell, signalling the start of the first class of the day.   
  
"You have everything you need?" Naruto asked, watching as Minato begun to fidget nervously, the pressure was slowly building, and his forgotten nerves peeked out from underneath the sheets.   
  
"I have everything I need. I think. Actually, I don't know. Maybe I don't have everything. Did I bring a pen?" Minato began checking his pockets frantically.   
  
"Calm down." Naruto laughed, "You don't have to be so worried Mina. There's nothing on that test that you don't already know. When you're writing it, you'll breeze through, wondering why the hell you were even nervous in the first place. You've got this. Easily." he assured.  
  
"Alright." the boy nodded firmly, took a deep calming breath, turned around and froze. He stood there for a couple of seconds before he abruptly spun back around, threw his arms around Naruto and hugged him tightly.   
  
"Thank you, Naru, for everything you've done. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you."  
  
Naruto, while a little surprised, hugged him back, "What are you talking about? You always had this in the bag. Now go on. Go before you're  _actually_ late and you'll have to wait another year."  
  
Minato nodded, grinned and turned around, entering his classroom.   
  
Inside of the room students was taking their place on the many seats available. There was a tension in the air, but after Naruto's words of encouragement, Minato couldn't help but feel a little more relaxed than what other people would expect from a student taking a graduation exam.   
  
Perhaps it was because whenever Naruto said something, assured him of something, he could trust that Naruto knew what he was talking about. So far he'd been right about practically everything.  
  
As such, he took a seat next to a civilian girl at the side of the path leading up and down the seats. It was better to sit closer to the exit because then he wouldn't annoy the others if he was finished quickly. Not that he assumed he would be because that would be arrogant, but he was making sure that  **IF**  he needed to... _well_ , he was pretty good in school.   
  
The room filled up, Shikaku giving him a lazy wave and small smile as he took his usual seat at the back of the classroom. Minato smiled back, waved and took out his new pen that he got when he and Naruto went out shopping for some new fuinjutsu supplies.   
  
The pen was yellow with a silver coloured push button, clip and nib. It had a nice swirly pattern on it what was a lighter yellow that made it look quite stunning, almost like liquid gold. It was the most expensive-looking thing he owned. He wasn't planning on getting it, but then Naruto slipped it into his own shopping basket when Minato wasn't looking, giving it to him when they'd exited the store.   
  
He'd been so happy, receiving his first ever gift from Naruto. It was small, perhaps underwhelming to most, but Minato loved it with all his heart. Aside from the Rasengan, it was his most prized possession.   
  
Their new teacher entered the classroom, Toyo Yuuri. He was a retired shinobi and missing one of his arms. After their previous teachers died, the old ones got either replaced, forced to pick up a rather gruesome training regime to get back into shape or compelled to take up assistant positions. Retired shinobi came into the Academy, prepared to whip the students and teachers into shape so that a repeat of what happened to Shun and Kano never happened again.   
  
Yuuri moved up and down the classroom, placing papers up-side-down on the desks.   
  
Minato could practically taste the nerves coming from his classmates. It was filling the air like a smog.   
  
But he was fine. He didn't really care now that he sat with the paper in front of him. He didn't know what was on it, but if Naruto said he'd breeze through it, then he believed him.   
  
"You have an hour. Start."  
  
Minato flipped the paper over, sweat-dropping at the first question as he quickly filled it out. The second question was the same, and so was the third, fourth and fifth. Before he knew it, he'd finished the entire thing, barely fifteen minutes into the exam.   
  
He flipped the test over, making sure nobody could cheat from it. As previously instructed, he raised his hand, making sure the teacher knew he was finished.   
  
Yuuri raised a brow, walked up to the boy, took the paper, eyed it and then stared a long moment at the boy, shook his head in disbelief, folded the paper and walked back to the seat behind his own desk.   
  
_That's not normal_ , the man thought.   
  
Minato was used to the various reactions this time around, so he didn't pay it any mind. Instead, he allowed his mind to wander. Naruto had been right again. Like usual. He smiled softly, staring down at his pen. It shimmered in the light of the sun from outside. It was a beautiful pen, he decided.   
  
The second portion of the exam was physical. He wasn't very worried about that part. It was the thing he was the most confident in, after all. After that was ninjutsu and after the chakra control exercises he'd done- that part would probably be pathetically easy.   
  
Now that he thought about it, he really had to wonder if staying in the Academy for an additional year was a good idea.  _No,_  he mentally shook his head,  _he shouldn't think like that._ Because if he'd not stayed, then he wouldn't be able to be on Naruto's team. And he wanted to be on Naruto's team.   
  
"Time." His attention snapped back to reality like a rubber band, startling him at how fast the time passed.   
  
"Next up is physical. Namikaze, go to the dojo."  
  
The boy stood up, walking with light steps towards the door, ignoring the minor glares everyone sent his way and skipped down the hallway with a grin on his face.   
  
The moment he slid the door to the side, adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and he was ready to run a marathon. Frankly, he was probably ready to head into a war with the amount of energy he had.   
  
At the head of the long table was the principal. The man was smiling with poorly concealed amusement and fondness at the happy blond. The brightest student the Academy had ever had. Next to him were two other chunin instructors.  
  
Minato stopped in front of them, eyes shining with excitement and anticipation. He just wanted his damn headband already!  
  
"Namikaze Minato," one of the instructors read, "Please perform the standard Academy taijutsu style and then show us your own preferred style." A nice new addition to the exam after Naruto's and Taketa's classes had shown that letting the kids fight their own way was far better than forcing a cookie-cutter style onto each of them.   
  
"Right." the boy said, taking up the desired position as he went through the Academy style with alarming perfection.   
  
The instructors wrote down his score, an approving look on their faces.   
  
Next up was Minato's own style that he'd developed with the help of Naruto and Jiraiya.   
  
He took up position again, keeping his arms close to his body, elbows to the side as he hunched forward a little, bent his knees enough for additional balance and took a single step forward. His eyes shone with deadly focus, pulling in the instructors who watched him move with deadly precision. He made two quick jabs to the area his opponents throats would have been, next up was a sharp kick and a small dodge-roll.   
  
One moment he moved as if though his body was water, and the next like it was a sharp spear. It was excellent for his physique and his known speed, but it was also a deadly style for any of the opponents that would end up crossing his path.   
  
Once Minato stood back up, turned to the instructors once more and bowed to signal his completion of the katas, he was rewarded with a smile from all of them.   
  
"You've come a long way Minato-kun." the principal praised. "Now, please perform the three Acadamy Jutsu's."   
  
"Thank you." the boy flashed through a couple of hand signs and six- _completely flawless_ \- clones appeared behind him. He didn't stop; henge-ing into the principal as he quickly substituted himself with a paper on the man's desk. Minato was there and back again before the instructors could even write it all down. He didn't do them one at a time but combined them all to save some time.   
  
One of the shinobi snorted loudly, took hold of a headband to his side and tossed it to the boy without a second thought.  
  
He didn't even have to wait for the written results to know that the boy passed. The kid was  _crazy_  good.   
  
The principal let out a chuckle, mirth, fondness and approval reflecting upon the boy.  
  
"Congratulations Minato-kun," Minato positively **beamed** ,"You've officially graduated the shinobi Academy and henceforth, you'll be a genin until your next promotion." The old man then smiled knowingly, "This is the part where I'd normally ask you to come back in a weeks time to receive your team placement... But from what I've heard, you already know which one you'll be on. So there will be no need for that. Report back to your team about your success, and then you'll be able to start your duties first thing in the morning. Good luck!"  
  
"Thank you for taking care of me these past four years!" Minato bowed to his waist, tying the hitai-ate to his forehead and then stood back up, grinning from ear to ear as he walked out of the room. A room he'd entered as a student and now left as a shinobi.   


* * *

  
  
"I passed!" Minato shouted from across the courtyard. On the other end were all the parents, guardians, friends and loved ones of the students who had yet to finish their own exams. In the midst of the large group of people stood a tall white-haired man and a blond boy.   
  
Jiraiya took a step forward, the people around him stepping to the side to give the famous man some room. "You weren't even inside for half an hour. Was it that easy?"  
  
"Of course it was." Naruto snorted, "He could have graduated a year ago." he stated matter of factually. Naruto then turned to the beaming boy, so much happiness radiating from him that he looked close to bursting and turning into sparkles. "Ramen?" he asked.  
  
"Ramen!"  


* * *

  


"I'm a shinobi..." Minato held his hitai-ate in his hands, "I did it." he still couldn't believe it.  
  
An arm wrapped around his shoulder and Naruto smiled, "Always knew you could."  
  
Thankfully, Jiraiya wasn't there anymore. His delayed debrief came back to bite him in the ass and now he was stuck on a tedious babysitting D-rank as punishment. Not that Naruto was going to protest. It was always hilarious watching the man suffer from the Sandaime's wrath.   
  
"When will we start missions tomorrow?" he asked, not even trying to hide how excited he was about the prospect of real missions.   
  
Naruto hummed, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "If you want-," He mused secretly as Minato leaned a little closer, eyes widening with eagerness, "-we can do one now." The chunin smirked and leaned closer to the gaping blond, "Just the two of us." He whispered, making a show of trying to keep it a secret.   
  
"We don't need sensei?" Minato whispered back, mildly scandalised.    
  
"I'm a chunin remember." he grinned, "No sensei required."  
  
"Can we, really?" The boy then beamed, half blinding the poor time-traveller who had to question himself if this was really a good idea. Minato was way too eager to do D-ranks.  
  
"Of course." he confirmed, "I'll even let you pick one."  Naruto turned back to his Ramen, wanting to finish before it ran cold.  
  
There sound of feet hitting the ground made the chunin turn to Minato, except- he wasn't there anymore. Instead, he could see the blond boy running down the street, heading straight for the missions office. "Oi!"  
  
Someone cleared their throat. Naruto turned back around and found the owner of Ichiraku looking right at him, a single brow raised. He wasn't impressed.  
  
"You're paying for that, right?" The chef asked, half in threat and the other half in demand.   
  
The boy sweat-dropped, "Of course..."  
  
_The little brat left me his tab!_  
  


* * *

  
  
  
"You've got to be kidding me," Naruto said with a flat look, eyeing the scroll Minato handed him as the genin showed the chunin which direction to go. "Why the  _hell_  would you pick this one?"  
  
"What?" Minato asked, completely ignorant of the hellspawn he was looking for, "Someone lost their cat, right? Finding it will make the owner very happy, no?"  
  
"Tora is the spawn of a demon." Naruto grimaced, pointing to the left as they turned to walked in that direction next, "That thing is barely a cat. It takes less than half a day before this mission reaches the office again. The owner is crazy. Honestly, if I were Tora, I'd be running away too."  
  
Minato laughed, eyes shimmering with mirth, "It can't be that bad, surely!"  
  


* * *

  
  
  
"TORA-CHAN!!!" Madam Shijimi pulled the poor creature into a crushing hug while Minato blanched. "I'VE MISSED YOU TORA-CHAN! MY KITTY CAT! MY BABY!"  
  
The two chunin behind the desk stared at the scene with a strange sort of detachment, having seen it too many times and mentally scarred for life. "Uzumaki-san, Namikaze-san, here is your pay for today's mission. Good job." One of the men handed them an envelope each.  
  
Minato, disturbed by the ongoing scene of animal abuse to his side, hesitantly took the envelope with a pale complex sported on his face. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to do this mission **ever again.** Again, Naruto was completely right in his assessment of the mission. Maybe he should listen a little more carefully next time?  
  
Before he could say 'thank you' Naruto took hold of his wrist and pulled him out of the office, slamming the door behind them as a loud "NOOOO!!!! COME BACK TORA-CHAN!!!" caused the walls to tremble around them.   
  
So, **naturally,** Minato and Naruto ran for _dear life_.   
  
Once at a safe distance, the two stopped, Minato panting slightly, completely speechless.   
  
"As I said," Naruto took hold of Minato's envelope, opened his own and placed all his earnings in the Genin's. "That woman is crazy, and that cat can hardly be called a cat anymore. I swear to _god_ , it's possessed by an **Oni.** " he visibly shivered. "Here," he held the money out for the other boy to take, "This mission was all you. You've earned it."  
  
Minato stared at the thick envelope, not sure what to think of it, "But-"  
  
"Mina," Naruto smiled kindly, taking hold of the boy's hands and forcing him to take it, "This was  _your_  first mission. You did  _all_ the work. I only supervised. Not to mention, I don't need the money. And you're going to get all the D and C-rank payments from here on out anyway." Minato opened his mouth to protest, but Naruto continued, "B, A and S-ranked missions will be split like usual. Honestly, we don't need the money." he assured at the frowning boy. He didn't believe him, "Don't forget I usually do ten D-ranks a day with my clones. That's the equivalent of an A-rank mission a day."   
  
"But I can't take all of this..." Minato looked down at the thick envelope. He'd never held so much money in his hands before. Especially not money that was _his own_. The money he'd earned through his own hard work. "It's too much," he said quietly.

"Put it in your bank account." Naruto suggested lightly, "Then you don't have to look at it if it bothers you. Or we can just write down the details to have it transferred to your account immediately after a completed mission." he shrugged.   
  
"But-"

"No 'buts'!" Naruto cut off with a warning, but there was a teasing tone to it, "You're not poor anymore. So don't try to be."  
  
Minato swallowed thickly, his eyes falling to the bundle of money in his hands.  _There was a lot of it._ "I don't know what to say..." he whispered, feeling tears burn behind his eyelids.   
  
Naruto smiled, "You don't have to say anything. I'm your teammate, and you're ours. We look out for each other. So no more of this sappy emotional stuff. Just take it for what it is and enjoy it."  
  
Minato nodded, wiping his tears away before they could fall. Instead of tears, he put on a smile, a bright and beautiful smile that had Naruto staring. Something flickered to life inside of him then, something he wasn't sure he could identify, but there was something there, and it was because of the sight in front of him. He tilted his head to the side, curious but intrigued all at once. What was that?  
  
"Let's go home?" the chunin asked after a moment of silence.   
  
"Let's go home." the genin nodded, taking Naruto's hand as he pulled the boy along.   


* * *

  
  
  
That evening Minato sat on his bed, legs pulled up, fuinjutsu books scattered around him and his hitai-ate in his hands. His fingers slowly trailed across the cool metal. The leaf-insignia stood out with its sharp edges, the moonlight shining through his window making the thing look cold and almost out of this world.   
  
He still couldn't believe he was a shinobi. After all this time, after everything he'd gone through, he was  _finally_  a shinobi. He was even on the same team as Naruto, and he also knew the Rasengan, Naruto's own technique. How could life be so utterly  _perfect?_  It was like a dream, a dream he feared he'd wake up from when he least expected it.   
  
If he did, he wouldn't be able to bear it. He loved this life far too much to want anything else. There wasn't any other variation of life that he could want at this moment because this was  _everything_. **Everything** he'd dreamed about.   
  
Perhaps it wasn't a stretch to wish that Naruto would turn out to be his best friend in the future. Minato couldn't see anyone else taking up that position. Naruto was just... great. _Perfect_ even. It sounded silly, he knew that, but he really wanted to be the one on his side through thick and thin. This seemed like the perfect way to do that.   
  
Minato knew, deep down, that his journey had merely just begun. There would be a lot of difficult times ahead and many trials to face before he could confidently stand by Naruto's side and consider himself an equal. Because as much as Naruto tried to convince Minato that they already were- as teammates- he wasn't convinced. It didn't feel like they were equals. Not yet anyway. To claim that title he'd need to work hard for a long time and then some more. He didn't want it to get handed to him- but rather earned.   
  
At that moment, Minato vowed to himself to become strong. Strong enough to stand next to Naruto and never hold him back. Strong enough to walk into battle, side by side and walk out the same way they arrived.   
  
Minato's arms moved to cover his eyes, a smile stretching across his face as he realised what his new dream was;  
  
He wanted to be Naruto's partner. 


	29. The Yellow Dyad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Takes out tissue and wipes tears*
> 
> My boys are growing up so fast.

The following morning the streets of Konoha was empty and quiet. A thick mist was hovering right above the ground, warming the earth like a blanket. The night had been cold along with a little rain, as such everything was wet and humid. The sun had not yet risen, but there was just enough light to move around unhindered.

It was early, perhaps a bit too soon for most, but it didn't stop team seven as they walked through the village at the crack of dawn. Minato was well rested, having slept a good seven hours thanks to an exhausting training session with Naruto the evening prior. His muscles were a little sore, nothing serious but Minato found that he felt the most satisfied when his muscles ached after training. It felt like progress.

The group arrived at training ground 7, their designated training ground as team 7. It would be theirs until Minato became a chunin and their team was made into a three-man cell. The place wouldn't be theirs for a long time unlike most genin teams, but that was a good sign. Another graduation of sorts.

The grounds were covered with grass, trees and large boulders. There was also a large lake in the middle of the grounds that connected to the river that went through training ground six to one.

"Stretch up, and I'll go through today's schedule," Jiraiya instructed, Minato gave the man a single firm nod, taking a seat on the wet grass.

The chunin called forth two clones, each of them taking up position behind the two boys as they helped them stretch in silence.

Naruto had a headache. The day before he'd decided that he wanted to take some time to work on his fuinjutsu project that he'd brought with him from the future. It was slow going but hopefully one day it would work. He'd been working on it for almost six years already and weren't more than halfway through. Still, it could prove to be very convenient in the future if he and Kurama managed to work out all the kinks and not accidentally set themselves on fire in the process. There was always that possibility. Unfortunately.

Minato was in the zone. Focused and ready to give it his all. He was happy, overjoyed, to start up his training in earnest finally. The day before was like a teasing preview but today...  _today_  it would all be real. He looked to the side, seeing Naruto rub his temple with a grimace on his face.

A headache, the boy noted. Naruto usually got that when he used too many clones to read for extended periods of time. Which meant that Naruto was studying fuinjutsu again.

Whenever Naruto had some downtime to relax, he was sitting with a fuinjutsu theory book. This impressed Minato because he knew that Naruto hated fuinjutsu theory or any form of reading in general. It just wasn't for him. In that way, the two of them were very different from each other since Minato turned to books first while Naruto was a natural of all things practical. Minato considered himself pretty good- but Naruto was on another level entirely.

But when he thought about that for an extended period of time, instead of getting discouraged about their difference in strength, Minato found that keeping Naruto as a goal was perfect for him. Naruto kept getting stronger the more he trained, just like Minato, and that meant that Minato always had someone to chase. Naturally, his dream was to become strong enough to become Naruto's partner but to do that he'd need to be his equal first. He refused to be carried and would work as hard as he could. He refused to give up!

"That should be enough." The Sannin spoke, walking up to stand in front of the two boys. "I told you the same day you moved in with us that the first month would be focused on honing your physical prowess. In other words; physical conditioning."

"I remember," Minato confirmed, recalling the conversation they'd had at the dinner table that evening. "A D-rank in the afternoon as well?"

"That's right." A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Minato was as sharp as ever. "I've built a training regimen for you. Typically we would start preparing and checking where you currently stand right now, but since you live with us, I've already done that. So here's your schedule," Jiraiya pulled out a thick bundle of papers from his vest. Minato accepted it, eyes wandering across the pages as he realized that every single page was describing  _one_  day. And all of his days appeared to be different. There wasn't a single one that was the same. "Now all you have to do is follow it for the next month and you'll see a vast improvement in your skills. Think you can do that?"

The boy looked up, lips pulling into a smile, eyes shining with fearless determination.

"Good." Jiraiya said with approval, "Some of the things in there will be stuff you'll have to do alone; like chakra exercises. Even if I'm not always here when you go through them, I'll be leaving a blood-clone with you- just like Naruto will. You can ask them for advice if you get stuck and then you can spar with them if your schedule tells you to. Naruto and I go through our routines in the morning as well, and once we're all done, we'll meet back here again. Then we go for lunch, head home and take a shower, and then we go for the D-rank mission together."

"You won't be stuck with our clones all the time," Naruto added, not wanting him to think that he'd be babied by clones until he made chunin. "But since the first month is conditioning, you'll have to do most of it yourself, but our clones will assist you whenever you need it, of course. I will also be checking up on you during my ninjutsu training since my clones can do a lot of the work. I'll be helping you out at around eleven every day."

"As for me," Jiraiya continued with a heavy sigh, "Basically  _everyone_  outside of Fire Country wants me dead so I'm not going to slack off with my training or I'll get my head chopped off sooner rather than later." he snorted but then allowed his gaze to move between the two boys, a smirk on his lips, "This team is unique since we're all combat specialists and only three people in total. We have to keep ourselves in top shape at all times because we're a moving target to our enemies. They'll get rid of us as soon as the opportunity arrives. It's our job to never allow that to happen in the first place." He then shrugged, a sliver of smugness accompanying his smirk, "We're also the best genin team in Konoha and because of that- we're going to get all the sketchy C-ranks that would typically be handed off to chunin if the jounin-instructors deemed them too severe for their genin teams. That also means we're going to be the highest paid genin team in the village. We have a lot to live up to right now and the expectations people have on this team are high."

The boy nodded gravely.

Even if he wasn't going to train as much with Naruto as he'd hoped, their reasons were solid. Right now Minato had to go through physical conditioning before he could even hope to keep up with them. It had to be done. And if the village had their eyes on them and their progress, Minato wasn't planning to disappoint.

"I understand. If I need any help, I'll talk to the clones first." the genin repeated, his heart was beginning to beat faster, adrenaline slowly building as he tried to contain the sudden urge to run laps around the village.

Minato wasn't entirely sure if that was a normal feeling to have.

"Then let's get started."

"Hai!"

 

* * *

 

Naruto dropped down on a tree branch some distance away from Minato. The boy was going through a training technique Jiraiya liked to use. It started at one end of the training ground and stopped in the other. Minato was doing a single push-up, rolled to the side and did a sit-up. He continued like that until he'd crossed the entire training ground. It was exhausting but very effective in building strength and stamina.

Minato was dripping with sweat, his clothes covered in filth after rolling around on the ground and after sliding across the earth while dodging shuriken and kunai from the two blood-clones.

But that wasn't important. What  _was_  important was that he could feel the progress. The way his muscles were stretched and how his mind tried to convince him to take a break or stop entirely. That was how he knew he was getting stronger. The more roadblocks he crossed- the closer to his goal he came.

When Minato's arm muscles finally gave out, the boy was completely spent. He'd never been so tired in his life, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

He rolled to his back, not noticing Naruto dropping down in front of him.

"Finished?" Naruto asked, something akin to pride lacing his words.

Minato let out a pathetic groan. That was the only thing he had the strength to respond with.

The Chunin chuckled, laying down opposite the blond and placed his head on the boy's shoulder. Minato raised his head a little, allowing it to mimic Naruto as he rested his head on the Chunin's shoulder. With their cheeks pressed together and suddenly far more comfortable than before, Minato began to drift off.

He slept for a good half hour before he came back to the land of the living.

A bird hovering above their heads was the first thing Minato noticed. That, and the bright blue sky, a soothing breeze and the rustling of leaves.

"I fell asleep..."

Minato could feel the slight tightening of muscles from next to his cheek. Naruto was smiling.

"You did." Naruto agreed, "But you deserved it. I wasn't sure you'd be able to finish. Ero-sennin can be very ambitious sometimes."

"Like pushing you off cliffs?" Minato chuckled, watching Naruto blond hair in his peripheral vision.

"Don't remind me." He grumbled, "Granted, it worked. But that doesn't excuse him from almost killing me."

"Should I be worried?"

"Nah, if he goes after you I'll save you. I can make grown men cry, didn't you know?"

Minato laughed, feeling another smile stretched across his lips. There was no stopping them when he was talking to Naruto. Just being close to him made Minato smile and felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

How strange.

"Hey, Mina?"

"Hmm?"

A strong breeze ruffled their hair, dancing around the two of them as the grass swayed like the waves of the sea.

"Remember when I told you why I wanted to be a shinobi?"

Minato thought back and quickly found what he was looking for, "To make people acknowledge you?"

"Yeah, to make people acknowledge me." Naruto confirmed, "But why do you want to be a shinobi?"

Why  _did_  he want to be a shinobi? It was a question he'd never actually bothered to ask himself because it was just the way it was. Minato always dreamed about being a shinobi because it was what he was meant to do. He felt it in his core, in his bones. But that wasn't a good enough reason; he knew that now that he thought about it.

"Maybe," Minato said, uncertain yet thoughtful, "I think I want to be a shinobi because I want to belong." He was silent for a while and then shook his head, "No, I want to be strong. But I also want to protect the people I love. To protect the village."

"I think that's a good reason to become a shinobi." Naruto stared up at the blue sky and soft white clouds, "Someone once told me that it's not strength that makes shinobi great. It's the desire to protect that which can't protect itself. To fight for those who can't fight for themselves."

Minato listened, enamoured by his words. When Naruto slipped into his much wiser persona, Minato felt himself get ensnared by his mere presence and words. It wasn't the first time it happened either. It only solidified the boy's belief that Naruto was a born leader. He inspired people.

"But I've always believed that it's the ability to endure that makes us great. Not our desire to protect."

"Endure?" Minato questioned curiously.

"There's a lot of darkness in the world. I've always dreamt of peace and only more so after the battle of Uzu." He said softly, "I call it the  _circle of hatred_." Naruto explained, "War breeds more war. Once this war is over, another will arrive and then another and another. Because if I kill someone, their loved ones will grieve, mourn and demand justice. They will seek revenge and kill me in return. But if they do, my loved ones will take their life and then it will continue until there's no one left to seek revenge against."

The genin was silent, something heavy taking root in his stomach. What Naruto was saying wasn't wrong. If anything it was logical. Far too logical and accurate with the history of the world.

_Circle of hatred, huh?_

"Hatred and love come hand in hand," Naruto continued, his mind taking him back to another life, "Where there is hatred- love has been before. To me, shinobi are the ones who endure the world's hatred. The people who fight to break the circle of hatred but are also the ones causing it. We fight to end all fighting. The mere concept of that is contradicting, but it's what we do, isn't it?"

"Then... how do you stop the circle of hatred?"

"That's the question isn't it?" Naruto smiled, "How do you achieve world peace? Through understanding one another? Or perhaps by allowing us to destroy one another? Nobody has the answer to that yet."

"It sounds very complicated." Minato mused, thinking about what the possible answer could be. It was difficult, practically impossible he found.

"I think so too."

"Does that mean you want to be someone who endures as well?"

Naruto raised his hand to the sky, creating shadows on their faces, "I don't want to be someone who endures." He spoke with a determination that was unrivalled, "I'm going to be  _the_  person who endures." He clutched his fist. Minato's heart picked up speed as he raised his hand to the sky as well.

"Can I help too?" He asked.

Naruto's hand moved and his fingers intertwined with Minato's.

A promise.

A promise that would last them a lifetime.

"Together." He said.

The genin smiled, "Together."

The two of them remained quiet for a long while, ignoring the fact that Jiraiya was running late. It didn't matter right now. He was probably peeping on someone anyway.

Minato felt renewed like; he'd just received a new purpose and goal in life. Because if he could end the circle of hatred as Naruto said, then he would ultimately protect his precious people and the village as well. It was a beautiful goal to have, and he found that if he was fighting to achieve it with Naruto, they might just succeed.  
  
Naruto really was amazing!

But Naruto had other thoughts. Thoughts he'd been troubled by but never allowed the proper time to dissect. The more promises he made and the more attached he became to Minato the more his thoughts weighed on his mind.

"Mina?" He asked quietly but regretted it immediately; he didn't want to throw his worries and problems on him now that he thought about it.

"What's wrong?" Concern evident in his voice.

 _But then he'd ask something like that,_ Naruto mentally sighed. Did Minato have a distress radar?

"It's going to sound stupid," Naruto admitted awkwardly. How was he going to say this? "But I can't stop thinking about it."

"What is it?" His head turned to the side, moving back a little so he could look at his friend. Naruto did the same, propping his head up with his arm as the two of them looked at each other. Two pairs of blue eyes are searching one another, one with hesitance and the other with a sense of curiosity.

"I've lost everyone I've ever cared about in my life- twice. When I was born and when Sasuke killed our family."

"Sasuke?" Minato's eyes widened. Was that the boy who'd been Naruto's best friend?

He watched Naruto turned wistful, sad almost, but there was a small smile on his lips as well, "I've never had much," he said, "But the things I've had I've done everything to protect, and I've failed more times than I haven't." Naruto admitted much to his own shame, "So the thought of being on a team with you terrifies me."

Minato's lips parted in shock.  _Terrified him...?_

"Because what if my best isn't good enough?" There was always the possibility and since Minato couldn't know about Kurama because of the council, well... he was practically handicapped, "What if I can't protect you either?"

Did... did Naruto just-?

"Are you scared I'll disappear too?" The genin whispered, realising what was going on. His reply was silence. Naruto closed his eyes, trying to push the thought away of seeing Minato dead. But no matter how hard he tried, the knowledge of how he died the first time haunted him. Minato never even reached twenty-five. This amazing kid never reached twenty-five years old, and he was hailed as the fastest man in the world. How could he possibly protect someone like that?

Minato moved closer, raised his knees and curled together around Naruto's head in a fetal position, shielding him from the world while he gently ran a few of his fingers through the boy's blond hair. Hair that was beginning to grow longer than his own. It suited Naruto.

Naruto didn't know what to say when he opened his eyes, his face so close to Minato's that he could have touched him if he stretched his neck. But the way he looked at him; worry, understanding and fondness? He couldn't be certain, but it made his breath hitch. His cerulean eyes flickered between his friends, silently wondering how someone could look at him like that and not belong to his imagination.

"Will you disappear too?" Naruto found himself asking. Not quite certain as to why but when Minato looked at him like that, he'd believe whatever he said. If he stated that he wouldn't, then he wouldn't.

"I'm not going anywhere you aren't. That's what we promised, remember? After we returned from the Nogusa fields." It didn't sound anything but sincere and sure. As if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If I die, so do you and if you die, so do I. Remember?"

Naruto reached up and forward with his hand, lifting a few of Minato's blond strands of hair, gently moving his thumb up and down the silky soft threads.

Was it alright to let him in completely? To connect the final threads that would make them inseparable? Was he prepared to fight the world and death itself to keep Minato by his side?

The longer he looked into the blond, blue eyes- the more convinced he became that he could. That he  _would_. No matter what.

This was like Sasuke but without the toxicity. It wasn't quite like that either. Minato had so many things Sasuke could never have hoped to gain, and Minato had an abundance of it. He had everything and more.

"I remember." His eyes softened, watching Minato's lips slowly pull into a beautiful and bright smile. "I'll become stronger." He vowed softly, "So that there is nothing that could take you away."

"And I'll become strong enough to match you." He tugged a little on Naruto's bangs, "So that we can protect each other. I'll become so fast that nobody can stop me from reaching you."

"Konoha's Yellow Flash." Naruto smiled brightly, tugging at Minato's hair to return the favour, "The fastest man in the world and a terror on the battlefield."

"Konoha's Yellow Maelstrom." Minato countered with a grin, "The strongest man in the world and  _the_  terror of the battlefield."

Naruto snorted while the other boy chuckled, mirth shimmer in their eyes.

"A maelstrom with enough speed can create a raging sea." The Chunin mused aloud, "A storm."

"That works. But I was thinking more along the lines of The Yellow Dyad."

"The Yellow Dyad? Why not The Yellow Duo?"

Minato rolled his eyes, "Because that's too predictable!"

"You're right; we can't have that." Naruto laughed, wondering how it had turned out like this. The two of them were so similar, yet they were so different. Their dynamics mashed so well that it was almost frightening to imagine what it would be like a few years into the future.

"Do you like Dango?"

"I've only had Dango once before," Minato admitted, "But it was before the academy started."

It was sad. How much he'd missed out on because of the orphanage and the lack of money.  _But_ , "Hey," Naruto's eyes shone with a new idea.

"Hmm?"

"Let's make a list," He suggested excitedly, "Of everything you've ever wanted to do or try- and then we can do all of it together! It can be our off-duty goal," Naruto grinned, "A way to make lots of memories and then we can take pictures and stuff!"

Minato's chest tightened painfully, tears burning behind his eyelids. Blasted emotions!

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course!" Naruto ruffled his hair fondly, "Lets live a life we're proud of. Where we have no regrets and never having to stop to wonder 'what if'. Let's do everything we want to do," he poked Minato forehead, "No matter what it is. Everything from eating Dango to pissing in Jiji's garden."

Minato couldn't contain it, he burst out laughing, hard and uncontrolled. Tears formed in his eyes as the image of the Hokage finding his roses wet and smelling strangely appeared in his mind.  _Gods_ , they would get demoted to  _toddlers_   **so**  fast.

Naruto was crazy.  _So_  crazy and amazing that it was hard to believe that he was  _his_  friend.

"Why would you suggest that!" Minato continued to laugh, not finding a way to stop himself.

"Well," Naruto mused aloud, "I have my own list of things I want to accomplish. And let's just say that most of them are a hazard to everyone but me."

"Pranks?" The boy wiped his eyes, a broad grin on his face.

"I've been stocking up on paint for a couple of days now. My artistic bone has been tingling lately, and I just find that the Hokage mountain is so  **dull** , don't you?" He spoke lightly, grinning wickedly.

"So you're going to paint the entire Hokage Monument without being seen by anyone in the village?" Minato raised an amused brow.

"Oh-ho, what's this?" Naruto covered his mouth with his hand, "Is that doubt I'm sensing? I have to be mistaken because surely you didn't doubt me just now?"

Eh... Naruto was serious. But... was it possible?

"I'm not sure I should be encouraging this," Minato smiled sheepishly, "But I kinda want to see if you can pull it off."

Naruto's grin turned feral, "Never underestimate Uzumaki Naruto, King of pranks and deception. One of these days I'll get to the Anbu's underwear and then you'll see what a real crisis is."

"Itching powder?"

Another snort, "Itching powder? More like  _chilli powder_."

"Eh... wouldn't that sting?" Minato blinked slowly. It sounded really terrifying, to be honest.

"Sting?" Naruto poked the boy's forehead again, "They'll cry like  _babies_. But if you think we should use itching powder and make them awkwardly rub their groins every few minutes, I'm all for it. You're good at this Mina! We might make a prankster of you yet!"

Minato had a sinking feeling he'd just doomed the ANBU in the village to rather humiliating few days.  _Groin-scratching ANBU; hidden protectors of the village of Konoha_. The boy snorted in amusement, that sounded so stupid it was actually funny.

"If anyone asks, I'll deny everything," Minato spoke mildly. He wasn't taking the fall for that.

"That's alright! You can be my alibi!"

"You're laying it on thick," the genin chuckled, "aren't you?"

"Well, what are teammates for? If not to get me out of trouble, then what?" He then leaned in close, eyes barely an inch from each other as he spoke dramatically, "You're a criminal now! No laws can keep us down, and nothing can stop us from accomplishing our goals!"

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?" Minato mourned, but there was a smile on his face.

"Nope!"

"Then I want half the credit, at least. No less." He argued.

Naruto beamed, "I'm so proud of you! My little Mina is all grown-down and mischievous!"

"Is 'grown-down' even a word?" he laughed.

"It's  _my_  word." Naruto sniffed, "People talking about grown-up and all that stuff but that's not important. What _is_  important is the ability to grow-down."

"I..." Minato frowned in confusion, "I don't think I get it."

"That's okay," Naruto patted his head gently, like a small child, "You're too grown-up to understand all of us who've grown-down."

Was this what Naruto meant when he said that he and Jiraiya were a bit strange? Because Minato was confused.

"Aawwh," Jiraiya's voice suddenly spoke up, "So precious!" He cooed, something flashing brightly that was suspiciously similar to a camera flash, "There's a story here, let's hear it! What are my cute little genin up to?"

"I'm a chunin!" Naruto hissed, tossing a kunai at the man- but Naruto wasn't exactly moving from his position, so it made the situation kinda awkward. Then again, neither was Minato who was basically in a fetal position on the ground, Naruto's head tucked in between his knees and head as he shielded him from the outside world like a little cave.

It looked kind of funny.

"But you're short!" Jiraiya whined.

A tick-mark began to pulse on his forehead, "You'll be short too," he spoke quietly, a smile on his face that promised pain, "When I cut off your legs by the knee!"

Jiraiya shrieked like a girl, dodging another kunai, "But I'd still be taller than you Naruto!" he tried to argue, running towards the exit of the training ground with Naruto hot on his tail, the Kusanagi swinging wildly over his head as a promise.

Meanwhile, Minato sat up, smiling softly at the sight as he turned to the sky.

He loved his team.  
  
So, so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sneeze*


	30. Poko-chan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some MinaNaru coming right up!
> 
> I didn't want to skip straight to C-ranks without D-ranks popping up in some way. But reading through D-ranks is boring so this chapter is the "in-between". Next chapter will be a bit more "exciting". Also, there will be a bit of a time-skip soon(not for a couple of chapters) but you've been warned!
> 
> On a side-note; I'll be going through my older chapters to edit them a bit. So if there's a bunch of updates- sorry! 
> 
> Enjoy my minions!

"What a drag," Shikaku whined. He'd only been a genin and on a team for a day and he already wanted to quit. Everything sucked. Everything required effort, and he just wasn't feeling it. His spirit animal just wasn't in the same bracket as the word 'energy'. All he wanted to do was sleep, eating occasionally and play shogi with someone that had a brain.

Speaking of brains, he grumbled, he'd not seen Minato since the exam. He knew he'd pass-  _naturally._  There was no way in hell he'd fail unless he'd gotten himself killed between the written exam and the dojo. And he highly doubted that no matter how goofy he was.

Then again, he sighed to himself, Minato already knew what team he was on so he was probably doing something productive and not wasting time with 'team bonding' or whatever bullshit his jounin-sensei was on about. He could respect the man, an Aburame, but damn, he needed to get out more. Aburame shojo was so socially awkward that Shikaku almost felt sorry for him. Not that he'd ever tell him because that would have required effort and the off-chance to an argument. The odds didn't look good in other words. So, naturally, he wasn't going to approach that or even poke it with a stick if he had anything to say about it.

The Nara turned to look at his teammates. Inoichi was speaking on and on and on and on and on about something Shikaku didn't care to decipher, and Chouza was eating Dango and onigiri. How he kept all of the food he ate  _on_  him- Shikaku would never know, and he also wasn't sure he wanted to. If it was a clan secret of some sort, then that was messed up in itself.

"Where the hell is Minato when you need him?" the boy grumbled frowning at the offending shadows of his team.

At that moment, he heard a familiar voice, "He's down there Mina!"

Shikaku came to a halt, forcing Inoichi to walk into Chouza, the large boy dropping his Dango on the ground, their teacher trying to steady them both while the Akimichi boy fought to withhold tears, Inoichi barked out some random insult, and Shikaku ignored them all.

His attention snapped to the street, moving around until he caught a flash of yellow. He frowned, and looked around to the other side and realised that it was Naruto he'd seen- not Minato.

"I've got him!" Minato suddenly cheered, dropping down on the street with a puppy in his arms. The golden puppy wagged its tail back and forth, and Shikaku noticed a disturbing amount of similarities between his friend and the animal.

"Nice!" Naruto jogged up to him, "It's the right one?"

"Yup! One green eye and a blue!" he confirmed with a grin so wide it looked a bit painful to Shikaku.

"Hey!" Inoichi's voice cut through the crowd and caught the two blonds attention. But Inoichi wasn't talking to them, but rather to their jounin-instructor, "Why do they get to go on missions, and we're stuck  _bonding?!_ "

Naruto grinned, nudged Minato at his side and received a smile in return. The two of them walked up to the group, silently observing the spectacle taking place while Shikaku just wanted to knock a bitch out already.

"Inoichi-kun, bonding is important for genins such as yourself." he straightened his back and said no more. The blond moped, sent the two blonds a glare and a huff before he noticed that Chouza looked at his fallen Dango like a lost lover.

Whoops?

"How have you been Shikaku?" Minato finally asked with a kind smile, happy to see his friend again. He'd missed him even if he'd been having a lot of fun lately. More like ' _the time of his life_ ' but he wasn't going to rub it in when Shikaku looked a hair away from choking someone with a pillow.

"Tired." he found himself saying. A very accurate summary of his feelings at that moment. But then he added, "With a damn headache."

Minato smiled sheepishly, feeling sorry for the boy since he knew that Inoichi had a habit of talking a little bit too much. Chouza probably wouldn't be so bad.

"So what's this I hear about 'bonding'. I've never heard about that." Naruto turned to the jounin, receiving a nod.

"While they have good teamwork when required or threatened- they are a menace outside of missions," Shojo said evenly, and Naruto couldn't help but sweat-drop at the bluntness.

If there were one thing he'd not expected, then it was that the famous Ino-Shika-Cho formation started rocky and on the opposite spectrum of 'harmony'. It was rather funny when you thought about it.

"I see. Well, a week in the Forest of Death can do wonders." Naruto grinned wickedly as Shojo appeared to turn thoughtful.

Now, if Shikaku knew what the Forest of Death was, he probably would have killed him. But as it was- he didn't know what it was. But as he was a genius, and it didn't take a genius to figure out, then he was already contemplating the assassination of the blond considering the name 'Forest of Death' didn't sound like your regular walk in the park.

"It was pretty exciting when we were there." Minato hummed and turned to Naruto who smiled back at him fondly, amusement and mild disbelief shimmer in his cerulean eyes. It was almost impossible to get Minato to dislike something. If it had to do with shinobi training, then everything was  _awesome_.

Frankly, it made Shikaku a little jealous. The two of them had such a nice dynamic with each other that all Shikaku wanted was to be a part of it. Honestly, he'd guess that anyone wanted to be.

There was something inherently right about the two of them standing next to each other. Shikaku wanted someone like that too, and when he glanced to his teammates, he could see that they'd realised the same thing.

Maybe, he thought hesitantly. He should put in  **a little**  effort into the team he was in.

But just  **a little** , because  _damn_ , if Inoichi didn't stop talking about gossip then someone was going to die.

"A sound suggestion." Aburame Shojo finally decided. "To training ground 44 team. Immediately."

Shikaku shot the blonds a long-suffering look before Inoichi took hold of his collar and dragged him through the crowd. "I'll get you for this!" he shouted, despite himself. Ignoring the snickering from the two of them.

Minato cradled the cute puppy in his arms, smiling down at it as Naruto leaned over his shoulder, patting the dog on the head, "Do you think we overdid it?" Minato asked.

"Nah," Naruto drawled but his tone teasing, "If they stick to the edges of the forest they won't run into the Tigers."

The genin blinked and looked up at his friend, "Tigers?" He'd not seen any Tigers.

The chunin grinned wickedly, "Little Mina you have much to learn. Didn't you think it strange that I took you around such strange paths? We were avoiding all the giant snakes, tigers and bears. I couldn't let them hurt you, could I?"

"Did we just send them into a forest where everything will try to kill them?" Minato asked slowly, not even sure he wanted to know at this point. Naruto could be a devil in disguise sometimes.

"Yup!" Naruto beamed brightly, "Those three will be  **SO**  bonded when they get out of that place. They won't even remember a time when they weren't!" At least they will be  _bandaged._

"That sounds worrying," Minato admitted, holding his puppy a little closer to his chest. They two of them began to walk back to the missions office.

"Just a little, but hey!" Naruto wrapped an arm around his teammate, "We're going for Dango after this, right?"

"Right," the boy grinned, excited to eat the delicious sweet again finally. At least that's what he could remember that it was. He'd been pretty young when he ate it the last time. "But first," his attention fell onto the adorable little creature in his arms, "Poko-chan needs to go home."

"You're good with animals." Naruto mused aloud, "Do you want a pet in the future too?"

Minato chuckled, "Maybe when I retire. I wouldn't feel right keeping a pet when I'm on missions. It seems like it could get lonely."

He could see that. "I suppose you're right. So, a puppy when you retire." Naruto filed away.

"The speed you add things to that list is kinda scary. How're we supposed to finish it all if you come up with fifteen new things every day?"

Naruto only smiled, eyes shimmer with mischief, "Who says it's only fifteen a day?"

"Naru!" Minato laughed, unable to help himself.

The two of them continued to chit-chat all the way to the mission office where Jiraiya was taking yet another nap. He'd made it his mission to try to claim that he had old bones and had to sleep a lot. Naturally, it was all bullshit, but it's not like either of the boys cared. Their sensei did what he was meant to do- taught them and trained them. During the D-rank missions Minato would mostly ask Naruto his questions anyway, so Jiraiya was hardly needed. In other words, he found it so damn annoying and mildly depressing, that he resorted to making Naruto do it while he travelled around the village. At the same time annoying Orochimaru when he found him lingering in the shadows around Naruto, and then Tsunade in the hospital where she'd threatened him with shoving a ten-inch needle up his ass.

Good times.

But it didn't bother the Sannin. Seeing Naruto happy was enough of a reward. It wasn't every day that you found two people enjoying each others company so much for no other reason than that they liked being around one another.

"You two finally done?" he asked, stretching out a few of his newly acquired kinks in his back. The sound of a popping spine still freaked him out a bit, but he was managing.

Naruto gave him a flat stare, "'Finally'? Would have been faster if you helped."

"D-ranks are below me. I can't soil my hands with them." the man raised his chin.

Minato tilted his head to the side, "Was it really that bad when you had to change diapers for the kids last week?"

Jiraiya blanched, then pretended he didn't hear.

"I think that's a 'Yes'." Naruto grinned, "But let's get Poko-chan home. He's had enough of an adventure today."

A little regretful, Minato lifted the golden puppy up, "Bye bye Poko-chan. Don't run away from your owner again." the different coloured eyes sparked with a promise it wasn't going to keep.

"We can take it from here." One of the chunin behind the desk stood up, holding out his hands as Minato handed the dog over. "The payment is being transferred to your accounts. Good work, once again."

"Thank you chunin-san."

With those words, the three of them left the Missions Office behind.

Halfway to the Dango shop, Naruto turned to the Sannin, "Did you get a reply from Arashi-san yet?"

Minato looked at his friend curiously. Meanwhile, Jiraiya snapped his fingers in remembrance, "I did. I completely forgot about that. He said that you were welcome to make copies so long as you kept them locked away."

Naruto grinned, "Nice."

"What is it?"The other boy asked.

"It's about a fuinjutsu project I'm working on. Well, I've been working on it for a long time now, but I haven't had the chance to take advantage of the Uzushio library yet. The stuff I need is about shape manipulation, and it's in the restricted area of the Uzumaki fuinjutsu section. I needed the Uzukage's permission since I'm officially a Konoha-nin now." Naruto explained, and then he smirked playfully, "It's a secret seal."

The boy chuckled, rolled his eyes and a fond smile stretched onto his lips, "Fine, I won't ask."

"Tell you what brats," Jiraiya decided, "I'm going to see if I can get my hands on a C-rank that takes us to Uzushio, you've never been there before, right Minato?"

Minato shook his head, "I haven't. Is it already rebuilt from after the war?"

"Nah," the man said, "It's not completely restored, but it's good enough for people to live comfortably again. They have a bit more room than before, so it's not as hard to fit everyone in, but Uzushio's always been strong. They'll rise like they always do."

"Besides," Naruto added, "I've heard that a bunch of the C-ranks right now is helping out with rebuilding the place and protecting merchants so they can get their trade up and start running again."

"We can pick up some scrolls and help out with the rebuilding next week. I think we're all tired of the D-ranks by now."

"But I need more D-ranks, right? I only have eight right now." Minato turned to his teammates and was met with an amused smile from the both of them. He'd definitely missed something. "What?"

"Mina, I do ten D-ranks a day with my clones, and then you and I do one together. That's eleven D-ranks a day. You don't have eight completed D-ranks, you've got  _seventy-eight_. You already completed the D-ranked mission stage for chunin." Naruto chuckled, smiling wider and wider as it began to dawn on his friend that even if it was just Naruto's clones who completed the missions- since they were a team, it got added to  _his_  completion list as well. Did that mean.. that he-?

"I've only been a genin for eight days..." He spoke in a daze.

"How many missions was it for jounin again?" Naruto smirked, eyes flickering to Jiraiya who made a show to shrug and pretended he wasn't interested in the genins reaction, "Oh, just 90 D-ranks, 60 C-ranks, 35 B-ranks and 15 A-ranks."

Minato was speechless. He'd been a genin for eight days, and he was almost done with all the missions he'd need for **jounin!** What happened to focus on chunin!?

"Once we're done with all the D-ranks you need, then we'll start doing C-ranks around the village while you keep up your training for physical conditioning. When that's done, we'll be spending most of our time outside of the village." the chunin explained, "Escort missions and stuff like that."

"How many missions do I need for chunin?" the boy couldn't help but ask.

"Erm, Ero-sennin?" Because Naruto had no idea what the numbers looked like in this era.

"40 D-ranks and 20 C-ranks are required to partake in the chunin exams. We'll be finished a good while before the chunin exams too." Jiraiya explained, "C-ranks doesn't have to take several days to complete as the escort missions do. Since this is Konoha and we have a lot of forest around these parts- we have a bunch of C-ranks that request our aid to hunting wild animals."

At that moment Minato suddenly felt a surge of energy course through him. When they put it like that, the daunting number of missions they had to complete didn't seem so bad. Relatively easy, almost. He definitely didn't have to worry about the D-ranks and could look forward to the C-ranked missions instead.

The boy was almost giddy with anticipation, but he hid it well. His eyes met Naruto's, and the chunin smiled knowingly.

There was no hiding from Naruto, Minato awkwardly chuckled deep inside of himself. 

 

* * *

 

"Your birthday is coming up soon," Naruto abruptly stated, rubbing his pregnant-looking Dango stomach.

Minato chewed on his own Dango stick, quite satisfied with their visit to the shop. "In three weeks, I think." He confirmed, "How did you know?" The boy inquired curiously.

Naruto smiled secretively, "I know a lot of things."

Minato rolled his eyes but smiled all the same. "When is your birthday?"

"October 10th, but we're talking about you right now." Naruto continued, not letting his friend think too closely about the date. "Let's get you a new outfit." He suggested, pulling the boys hood playfully, "You're gonna need more stealth than a cream-coloured hoodie and brown pants."

The genin looked down at his clothes and frowned, "Is it that bad?"

Naruto laughed, shaking his head, "It's not exactly bad- but not as good as it could be if you get what I'm saying."

"I think so."

"I was thinking along the lines of like..." he hummed, circled the blond boy and nodded, "Black pants and shoes with a dark green or grey hoodie. Just colour changes, nothing major."

Minato considered it in his mind, sweat-dropping when he saw himself with green. He wasn't much for fashion, but that would clash horribly with his hair. Naruto might be able to pull off bright colours but he definitely couldn't.

"Gray hoodie. Definitely."

"I thought so. But you never know, Konoha shinobi are defensive about their green." Naruto took hold of the boy's wrist, pulling him along to a nearby store while Minato allowed his hand to slide into a proper hold of Naruto's.

The store they entered had a lot of wares. There was everything from clothes to weapons. Although, mostly clothes.

Naruto steered him onwards to a section with shinobi pants, and it didn't take long for them to pick out a pair of black ones. Next up was the hoodies and due to the large variety to choose from, it took a while longer.

"How did you get your shirt?" Minato allowed his gaze to wander up and down Naruto's upper body, stopping by his sleeves and the orange flames that decorated it.

"Tailor made. I used to wear all orange before, but Ero-sennin threatened to put me up for adoption if I didn't drop the jumpsuit." The boy spoke mournfully, eyes falling. But then he scowled, "He's got an unhealthy amount of dislike towards such an awesome colour!"

But it didn't take a genius to realise that an orange jumpsuit was just asking for trouble. Then again, Minato thought with humour; he doubted it would have hurt Naruto all that much with how lucky and talented he was. After all their missions together he'd noticed that Naruto's coincidental luck was insane. He could see a single Ryo on the ground, decide to pick it up and dodge a stray kunai in the process.

The first time it happened Minato's heart was in his throat, terrified for his friend's safety. But after the tenth time he could only marvel at the incredible luck he processed. Naruto didn't seem all that aware either. Which just made it ridiculously funny.

"If you have something specific you want later, we can get it tailor made for you."

"Isn't that expensive?" He asked but quickly found himself in a neck-hold, "Fine, Fine, Fine! Not expensive!"

"That's right," Naruto let him go, switching to pulling his cheeks in the opposite direction, "Repeat after me: Quality shinobi wares deserve an owner who's not cheap."

Barely able to withhold a snort, Minato repeated, "Quality shinobi wares deserve an owner who's not me."

"Cheap."

"Me."

"C.H.E.A.P."

"M.E."

Naruto squinted his eyes at the blond boy, "I think I broke you."

Minato rolled his eyes but smiled, cheeks still pulled to the side and stretching his lips, "Not broken."

"Oh," he looked genuinely relieved, "Because I could have sworn you just said something bizarre just now."

"Really, what?"

The hold of the boy's cheeks disappeared, and Naruto smiled softly, "Come on Mina-baka, we've got clothes to buy."

Minato slipped his hand into Naruto's once again, receiving a small squeeze in return as Naruto guided him towards the table with another type of hoodie. It was a style that was a little bit longer than what Minato already wore. Not by much, but just a bit to comfortably hide your weapons pouch if you carried one on the hip.

They two of them unfolded a couple of hoodies, cooperating with a hand each as the other was locked together and connected them. If the habit of holding each other's hands were strange or invasive, none of them acknowledged it or even allowed themselves to notice that it might be strange. Perhaps it was weird, but nobody said anything about it. Not even Jiraiya commented, merely smiled knowingly and moved his attention elsewhere.

Personally, Minato found it very grounding to hold Naruto's hand. It was like Naruto couldn't get too far ahead of him, and in return, he wouldn't be able to lose Minato.

Besides, Naruto was very warm. It was perfect for keeping your fingers comfortably warm, so Minato had little to complain about.

And, even if he wasn't going to admit it, holding Naruto's hand felt nice. The fact that he didn't mind made Minato happy.

"What do you think about this one?" Naruto asked, a dark grey hoodie with long sleeves, a dark blue stripe on the outer side of the arm on both sides and reached low enough to cover most of his behind. It looked warm and comfortable, and since it was already January, it was a bit colder outside than usual. The only reason Naruto still wore his short sleeve was that the cold weather barely affected him in the first place.

"I like it. It looks warm." Minato said, smiling a little at the thought of getting a new set of shinobi clothes. He'd planned on buying some when he got his payments, but he'd been so busy that he'd forgotten. But now he would be able to change from the clothes he had during the Academy. "Is there a kunai holder that matches?"

Naruto hummed, looking around himself and let out a quiet 'ah!', "Over there."

Minato took hold of the hoodie, briefly glancing at the pants Naruto had tossed across his right shoulder in favour of carrying it with his hands. He smiled, something deep down inside of him fluttering as he stopped and browsed the many holders available with his friend.

In the end, the two of them spent a good half hour in the shop, acquiring a whole new set of clothes and a couple of extras of everything to make sure there wasn't any danger to train in the clothes as well.

Minato stepped out of the store in a new pair of black shinobi sandals that looked very much like Naruto's. A matching set of pants and the dark grey hoodie that was just loose enough not to get too tight. The sleeves were a little longer, allowing Minato to hide his hands in them if he was cold. But as a result of that, Naruto made sure to pick up some arm bands, so the sleeves didn't get in the way when he had to fight. Tugging the sleeve upwards or down would be easy enough to suit the occasion.

A dark grey holster for kunai was also strapped to his right thigh. Over all, Minato adored his new clothes, and it only grew stronger by the fact that he and Naruto matched a bit better now. While Naruto wore a chunin vest, his overall clothes were dark. Excellent for stealth.

Now the only thing missing would be a C-rank mission and some action.

But then again, he doubted that there'd be a shortage of that stuff with Jiraiya and Naruto around. They had a habit of getting into trouble after all.


	31. One, two, three graves for you!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First "large" time-skip will happen in chapter 33~

Tanaka Gyorai, Itsu Gyorai and Mayumi Gyorai.

Naruto stood next to Minato, the later being eager to go on his first ever C-rank outside of the village and country. It was understandable to be excited. Naruto was excited as well- until Sandaime handed them a C-rank mission that  **EVERYONE**  refused to take. Naturally, that meant that it was team 7's and the pay was slightly higher than usual.

But  **why!?**

Naruto hid in the shadows of a building, making sure that he couldn't be seen and at the same time stopping Minato from rushing forward to greet the devil spawns.

Jiraiya grimaced, this wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he'd said that team seven were going to take all the missions that were either too hard or deemed too dangerous for genin teams. Honestly, considering how bad the last escort went with the Gyorai caravan, he was surprised that it wasn't added to the list that said that the mission wasn't suited for team 7.

But, the answer to that questions was that in reality, team 7 handled it the best. Which was the best out of all the teams who'd tried it before. So, Gyorai caravan it was.

The only consolation was that by the end of it, they'd be in Uzu again.

"I swear to  _god_ , if this isn't a joke I'll Rasengan someone." Naruto turned to look at his adoptive father who's grimacing only deepened. The boy's face fell, "Oh,  _come on_!"

"Believe me, kid," Jiraiya muttered, "The first one to kill someone will be me."

"What's wrong?" Minato tilted his head to the side curiously.

The other two froze, allowing their eyes to fix on the genin who's ignorance of what was to come was glaringly obvious.

"Oi, Jiraiya," Naruto said, eyes still locked on the boy. The Sannin turned to the chunin, alerted by the use of his real name, "If they do anything to Mina..."

"At least try to leave them in one piece. They still need to pay us." But at this point, Jiraiya wasn't sure if he would help the kid or pretend he didn't know and leave him to it.

"Naru?"

Naruto's lips pulled into a thin line, "Don't worry Mina, it'll be fine."

 

* * *

  


Minato sat down on his sleeping bag, something foreign bubbling in his blood.

Anger.

Minato was angry. Why? One might ask. It was very simple; the Gyorai's were terrible people.

He wasn't a fool; he noticed how both Naruto and Jiraiya protected him from both young Itsu to Tanaka himself. But because of that Naruto was forced to take the blame and punishment for actions and things he didn't do. It was like Itsu made it a game to see how much trouble he could get Naruto in.

And Minato  **hated**  it.

The genin laid down, pulling a blanket over his shoulders for some extra warmth. It wasn't enough; it was still cold. He could only thank the heavens for the new clothes Naruto convinced him to buy. If not, he'd be freezing to death. Still, the chattering of teeth was becoming annoying.

Anger warmed him a little, made him tense and ready to lash out. But just as he was about to growl at his thoughts, the shuffling of feet and fabric forced him to turn around, searching for the source of the noise.

The anger instantly began to shrink inside of him, a smile taking its place as Minato watched Naruto pull his sleeping bag all the way towards him.

"Jiraiya's got guard duty tonight, and I fixed some sage clones to help keep watch. Nothing's coming past the perimeter unnoticed, so we can relax for now." He said and laid down next to the boy. "How're you doing?"

Minato frowned, "I'm fine."

Naruto merely smiled knowingly, "I was so angry the first time I escorted the Gyorai's that I used my KI to scare Itsu stiff and then made him fall off the docks in Uzu."

"Really?" That sounded oddly appealing right now.

"Really." He grinned, but it quickly morphed to a frown when Minato shivered. Sometimes he'd forget that he didn't get as cold as others because of Kurama. "Come here." Naruto held up the flap to his sleeping bag, offering the blond to join him.

Minato didn't hesitate, not caring if it was 'weak' or 'childish'. He was tired, cold and beyond irritated due to the Gyorai's. The boy slipped into Naruto's sleeping back, shuddering like a cold cat and nuzzling into his warm embrace with little concern.

The cold instantly left his bones, replaced by the feeling of a summer sun, and he let out a satisfied sigh.

Naruto chuckled, pulling him a little closer and firmer into his chest. He may not suffer a lot from the temperature, but it felt nice with the warmth Minato provided even if he was cold.

"How're you so warm when it's so cold outside?" Minato mumbled although it sounded more like he was speaking out of his nightcap.

"I told you about my Kekkei Genkai, remember?" He explained softly, "I don't get sick, and I'm not tired for long. The weather doesn't affect me much either."

"So lucky." That Kekkei Genkai sounded  **awesome**.

"I don't mind sharing some of it." He chuckled again, feeling Minato smile against his chest. He had a feeling that Minato was going to hog a lot of the opportunities to share a bed with him, so he didn't have to be cold. Not that Naruto minded, it felt nice to sleep next to someone as well.

"I don't like this mission." Minato finally said quietly.

"Me neither." Naruto agreed, "But sometimes the missions we get sucks, but we have to do them anyway. Take out your anger on bandits or rogues if we stumble across them. It helped me relieve some of the frustration last time."

The genin hummed in agreement. He listened to the calm and steady beat of Naruto's heart, allowing it to soothe his anger and cure the negative emotion residing in his body.

"I feel useless... I can't do anything to help you with Itsu..."

"Hey now," Naruto poked the boy's cheek playfully, "I can take care of The Little Shit. That brat isn't worth your attention. Let me handle him."

Most of the times, Minato didn't like mean nicknames. But today, he found them all rather tame.

"But you shouldn't have to handle it alone." He argued mildly.

"I'm not." Minato felt him move a little, pulling something out of his pocket, "I was going to give this to you earlier, but it slipped my mind with the Gyorai's in my hair. Here you go."

He raised his head a little, searching for whatever it was Naruto handed him.

Something fluttered in his chest when he realised that Naruto held a picture. But not just any picture. It was the picture they'd taken just the day before leaving Konoha.

On it was Naruto and Minato, the two of them grinning while at the same time pressing the side of their heads together, a peace-sign formed with their hands. Behind them stood Jiraiya, a hand on each of their shoulders as he grinned broadly.

Team 7, Minato whispered inside of his mind. He liked the sound of that.

Happiness surged inside of his chest.

"We're a team, and even if it doesn't always look like we're working as one- we are. Especially now." Naruto assured him, "I can be a bit overprotective sometimes, I know that. Honestly, I just don't want you to have a shitty C-rank like this as your first mission out of the country. I want you to remember this with some kind of happy feeling. Maybe it's selfish, but I can't help it."

Minato's hand moved from the chunins chest and wrapped it around Naruto's waist instead. His face nuzzling into the side of his neck, "I don't think you're selfish at all." He said. "You're the least selfish person I know."

It was difficult not to smile when Minato spoke so softly, kindly, into his neck.

Life in this era was very different from his own. While it could be considered more brutal in this era, it was also a rather naive time. At least compared to what he was used to.

He'd never indulged in the minor things; holding someone just because it felt nice, sleeping next to someone because it was comfortable and warm. He'd never bothered to explore a friendship with anyone like this outside of Sasuke. It hurt, knowing what he could have if he'd not been so fixated on trying to save a man who didn't wish to be saved. Perhaps, if he'd looked at other people, then he could have had something like  _this_.

His arm drew the boy yet a little closer, earning a soft sigh in response. Naruto smiled, eyes wistful but heartfelt.

No, he didn't regret anything. Because if he'd done things differently then he would never have met Minato and they would never have ended up on the same team. They wouldn't even have been in the same era.

There was nothing to regret, he realised. Because he had everything he could have wanted and more.

He would never forget Sasuke and what he meant to him, but perhaps he could make a conscious effort to make something new and special with Minato. Something that was only theirs and nobody else's.

"So are you. And I know a lot of people."

Minato chuckled, closing his eyes as he held his friend and picture close.

Life was good,  _great_ , even.

"I believe you."

"Thanks. Goodnight Mina."

"Night night Naru."

 

* * *

  


"I didn't take it!"

"Yes, you did! Give it back; it's mine!"

"You can't prove anything!"

"It's  _mine_! Stop lying!" Minato said hotly, tears burning at the back of his eyes. On the outside, he only looked angry but if anyone cared to look closer- they'd see otherwise.

It all started out rather innocently. Minato was walking beside one of the carriages, looking at the picture for team seven that he'd received the day before. Itsu asked him about it, wondering what it was.

Polite and well-mannered that Minato was, he told him and explained that it was precious to him.

He'd barely looked away for a single moment, only a couple of minutes. Minato placed his backpack on the carriage, heading back in the caravan where he received new instructions from Jiraiya. After that he headed back to his position, not thinking much of it.

Until he wanted to look at his picture again and found it missing. Realistically, he could have dropped it. But the picture was too precious to have put it somewhere he'd allow himself to lose it accidentally. No, he knew where it was supposed to be.

And the only one close enough to be a culprit was Itsu.

Feeling Minato's distress through his flickering chakra, Naruto hurried to his side.

"What's going on here?" He asked, eyes moving between the two boys. Itsu appeared defiant and angry while Minato just looked angry- if you didn't look close enough.

Naruto furrowed his brows, seeing the slight strain on Minato's neck and throat. The boy scowled.  _Minato was upset!_

"He took the picture you gave me!" Minato accused, glaring at the subject of his ire.

"No, I didn't! You can't prove anything!"

"You were the only one there, and you were the only one who'd seen it!"

"Liar!"

"I'm not a liar!" Minato glared, starting to lose his temper entirely.

"Well," Naruto spoke mildly, "I know for a fact that Mina isn't a liar, but you are. So give him the picture before your father gets involved."

Minato's heart began to beat a little faster, a tiny smile stretched across his lips when he looked at his friend. Having Naruto cover his back made him happy.

Itsu raised his chin defiantly, "Fine, get my father! He'll tell you that you can't bully me!"

The Chunin merely raised a brow, not impressed by the boy's continuously crappy behaviour. But going after Minato was taking it too far. He wasn't planning on letting that go. No, he'd put Itsu in his place this time around.

As such, Naruto let out a morse-code through small chakra pulses. They didn't have to wait more than a few minutes until Jiraiya came walking with Tanaka by his side, an angry scowl on the merchant's face. He didn't like being interrupted from his naps.

Jiraiya on the other hand didn't give a toss.

"What's the meaning of this!?"

"Your son stole property from a shinobi of Konoha." Naruto stated simply, "You're here to make sure he returns it. The consequences, should you not, will not be good for you."

The Sannin frowned, what property did the kid steal? But more than anything, the gall of the brat pissed him off.

"Is this true?" Jiraiya spoke gravely, crossing his arms.

Minato nodded, "Itsu took the picture Naru gave me."

Tanaka scoffed, "All of this for a picture? You're supposed to be professionals!"

The genin's throat tightened, fist clutched as the tears he had felt behind his eyes began to burn once more. It was humiliating getting told off by a merchant like this. A civilian by all rights. And in front of his team.

"I don't care if it's a  _stone_." Jiraiya said with a subtle glare, "If your son took something from my teammate then he will return it,  **now**."

"I don't have it!" Itsu spat once again.

"After all the time I've spent with you, I've come to learn a few things; one, you're _definitely_ a liar. And two, you're not that smart." Naruto walked up to the boy, took hold of his collar and pulled him forward, shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a familiar picture. " _'I don't have it!'_ " He mimicked mockingly, "You're in deep shit, brat."

Itsu snatched up the picture, receiving a scowl from the three shinobi. "If I can't have it, neither can you!" He growled, taking hold of the picture in opposite directions.

Minato's eyes widened, hands reaching forward to take the picture before-

Itsu tore it in half.

There was silence and then-

"Nice," Naruto said lightly.

Minato's heart lodged in his throat, not quite believing he heard his friend right.

"Now you're  **really**  fucked." The chunin continued, a wicked smirk grew onto his face.

"Agreed," Jiraiya said, reaching for Minato's backpack. The man tossed it to the boy. He grabbed it, confused and hurt. "As a direct violation of the contract you signed with Konoha, we are as a result of this no longer bound to uphold our end. As such, you will pay the assigned fee plus a two-rank upgrade to the original mission cost. Making this an A-rank mission worth one-point-five million Ryo-"

"Now wait just a minute-"

"-Also, if you try to sign a contract in the future with Konoha, you will have to pay additional fees. But I should warn you. Unless you pay your, now considerable, debt to Konoha- you will receive another visit from us and it won't be during daylight. Good day."

Naruto slipped his fingers into Minato's hand, pulling him along as the outraged sound of Tanaka echoed over the road. They didn't care, but continued walking until they slipped into the shadows of the trees.

"Here," Naruto said, reaching into his own pocket and pulling out another picture of team seven. "You can have mine."

Minato stared at the picture, eyes welling up with unshed tears, "You planned it, didn't you? That he'd destroy it so we could leave?"

The boy chuckled, "I didn't plan it. It might have looked like it, but I didn't. But I thought of an idea when Itsu took the picture again. They did violate the contract."

"I'm sorry," Minato spoke quietly, "For making a mess of things."

"None of that kid." Jiraiya spoke up, "You didn't mess anything up. If anything you did us a favour. Because of that situation, we'll get paid more than we were previously expected to receive. We'll get good future deals and if he doesn't pay up- we get to kill him. It's a good deal all around. Sensei will be happy about it."

"He will...?" The Hokage would be happy about something like this?

Jiraiya smiled kindly, "Minato, the rules are there for a reason, and it was the shinobi who wrote them. They're meant to protect  _us_  and discourage our clients to cheat or mistreat us. We're killers, but we're also businessmen."

"And we can replace your picture." Naruto added, squeezing Minato's hand in assurance, "Ero-sennins got the original, and we can just make another copy when we get back. Everything worked out for the better this way."

"Thank you..." he whispered, drying his unshed tears with the back of his sleeve, an uncertain smile forming on his lips.

"We've got your back Minato." The Sannin grinned.

"Always," Naruto added, ruffling the boy's hair with his free hand.

 

* * *

  


The three of them stood on a ship, the large boat slowly pulling up at the dock of Uzushio.

It wasn't as lively as Naruto remembered but it wasn't deserted at least. The last time he'd been there, two armies had invaded. But the thought brought a smile to his lips because Uzushio survived. The great nation that his clan came from and where the worlds Seal Masters pilgrimaged to. It was an amazing country and through a rather straightforward and subtle change in history- a mere word of warning and a leap of faith- a whole nation stood where a ruin would lay in another time.

Naruto closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of the sea and the salt. Listening to the crying of seagulls, crashing waves and the humming of the wind.

It was  _home_.

Konoha was the place he may have been born, but his soul belonged to Uzushio. He might look like he inherited most genetics from his father, but it was his Uzumaki blood that was dominant. You could almost say that the shell of Konoha hid his true self- the Uzumaki within.

He didn't mind that at all. He liked his appearance, and he liked his talents and inherited strengths as well.

But Uzushio made him feel something that no other place in the world managed to do to the same extent. Naruto felt like he belonged. Almost as if Uzushio herself embraced him as he approached the island.

Through the many seals on the buildings, the ground and everywhere imaginable, the island almost felt sentient. There was a constant hum of chakra in the air that rocked his senses like a lullaby. It was soothing and relaxing. Also, if he didn't imagine it- it felt like he could absorb some of the chakra in the air, allowing his reserves to grow slowly. It wasn't by much, but for people who lived here, even civilians, their reserves were already larger than average genins.

"It's good to be back." Jiraiya mused, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Aa." He smiled, excitement bubbling inside of him at the prospect of seeing the friends he'd made on the island. "I hope the market is up and running."

"Going to Toyoko-chan again?"

"Yup! I want to see if she's got anything new." He grinned, rubbing his hands together, "She said something about Seal Master-"

"Land Ahoy!"

"Well," Minato leaned over the edge to get a good look at the dock, "This is our stop."

With those words, the three of them leapt over the railing before the plank to the dock was connected. They didn't have time for that stuff.

"I'm going to Toyoko-san and Miwa-san! I'll catch you guys later!" Naruto called over his shoulder, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

Feeling a little left behind, Minato watched him leave. He'd secretly hoped that they could go and explore together but... he mentally sighed, he was acting childish. He didn't have to do  _everything_  with Naruto.

Even if he wanted to.

"Let's go Minato." Jiraiya placed a hand on his head, "I think you're going to like the library."

On second thought... maybe he could catch up to Naruto later?

Meanwhile, Naruto skidded down the street. It wasn't as busy as before, but it wasn't as little people as he'd first expected it to be. The closer you got to the central square, the more people you could see.

But Naruto was on a mission today. He searched for a familiar stand where a brunette was supposed to be. It took him a little while, but he found her closer to the square than she usually was.

He stopped in front of the stand, grinning at the woman who polished a bracelet, "Toyoko-san!"

Said woman looked up in surprise but then smiled right back. "If it isn't my favourite customer! How are you doing Naruto-kun?"

"I'm great! Just came from Konoha. How's everything looking around these parts?"

She hummed, "Well, it's getting better for each day that passes. It's going to take a while before the business is up and running like usual, but it's getting there. I've seen lots of young Konoha shinobi around though."

"Oh," he nodded, "We have a lot of C-ranks here right now. Helping rebuild and restore the island. We might do a couple while we're here as well. You never know."

"It's nice seeing more Konoha shinobi around the island," Toyoko smiled softly, "After everything that happened, your presence is very reassuring to us."

"I can see that." Naruto agreed, "Maybe one day we'll get a proper teleportation seal working, and you can go back and forth between the villages without so much effort. That'd be great."

"So true! But! Are you interested in seeing the new stuff I've got?" She grinned mischievously.

"Do I!" The boy leaned forward and towards the displays. Everything from necklaces to hairpins.

"I remember you said you were a Seal Master, so! I got your something really cool."

Toyoko crouched down behind the table, pulled out a small black box and opened it up. "This is pretty expensive, but it's something a lot of Seal Masters wear with pride- especially Uzumaki's. Then again, the Seal Masters of the world are basically just people from the Uzumaki clan anyway." She chuckled along with the boy, "Look here. This is a silver ear cuff. Depending on the gems in the metal, you can even tell what level you're on."

"Level, huh?" He hummed, "Uzukage-sama said something about SML9 when I did my test the last time I was here. I didn't actually pay attention, to be honest." He smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

Toyoko stared owlishly at him, but then beamed, "That's incredible Naruto-kun! There are only ten additional levels after you reach the Seal Master title. It's incredible how you've already acquired nine out them."

"So there are twenty levels in total? Ten levels to reach Seal Master and then another ten to reach- what? Super Extreme Ultra Seal Master?" He snorted, smirking. His eyes were shining with mirth.

"Or," she shook her head in fond exasperation, " _Grand Seal Master._  But whatever makes you happy. You'll want the onyx gems for level nine. Level ten is gold."

"Then I'll take one." Naruto grinned.

After paying and saying goodbye to his friend, he sat down on a couple of steps leading to a flower shop. The store was currently empty but that was okay, one day it would be blooming again.

Naruto looked at his new piece of jewellery and smiled. The ear cuff was a little shorter than an inch in length; the silver metal was carved in tiny and delicate sealing patterns. To top it off was several small onyx gems embedded in the precious silver. The ear cuff would have to be coaxed onto his ear, but with the two sharp needle like posts, there was no risk of dropping it.

Maybe he could get Miwa-san to put it on? He needed a haircut anyway.

Perfect.


	32. The strongest Will of Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I love reading your comments. It always makes me so happy when I get a new email and a comment on this story. It doesn't matter if it's a *thumbs up* or a paragraph of two pages. This story hasn't been out for more than a month and a half(or something like that), and it's growing so fast! It's incredible how many come back and read and reread every day. As such, I just wanted to say thank you(!!!) for reading and sticking with me! It's super motivating when I see people enjoying what I'm writing. 
> 
> I decided to write this fic after reading a ton of Naru/Mina fics on the internet. Most of which were never finished, and that annoyed me to death! So you don't have to worry about me not finishing, I definitely will. I'm obsessed with this story! If you haven't figured it out by now; this fic will be rather long but very fleshed out as a result. This is as much for you guys as it is for me. It might not be the typical "Naruto-and-Minato-jump-each-other-and-suck-each-other's-faces-within-a-couple-of-weeks", but it's about them, their life and their relationship as a whole. 
> 
> But enough of that! Onwards to little Naruto and Minato!
> 
> Enjoy! <3

This was Naruto's home, Minato thought, eyes following the many inhabitants of the village. He was sitting by the large fountain in the central square. Jiraiya was off to talk to the Uzukage, and Naruto was meeting up with his friends. That left Minato alone for the time being.

After the long visit to the library, he'd found that Fuinjutsu was an art that he truly wanted to learn. At first, it was just because Naruto and Jiraiya knew it- but now he realised the wonders of the art. There was so much you could do with a simple ink and paper. It was a beautiful art that the Uzumaki had indeed capitalised on.

Now that Minato had the time to sit down, without any distractions, he allowed himself to looked closer at the village that was his friends home. It was a beautiful village, he decided. Unlike anything he'd seen before- although he'd never actually been anywhere aside from Konoha. But that didn't feel important.

The white buildings reflected the sun and made them glow. The white cobble stone on the ground was covered with seals of various purposes. He couldn't name them all, barely any of them, but he did identify a rejuvenation seal. He'd read something about that; a seal that helped decrease negative emotion. It didn't outright remove it but helped soothe the feeling. Perhaps that was why everyone in Uzushio looked so at peace? So happy?

Despite the location of the village, the central square smelled little of salt and seawater, but rather of roses from the many rose bushes that decorated the corners of all the buildings. He couldn't help but wish that Konoha was more like this; tranquil.

He loved Konoha, Konoha was home. But Uzushio made him feel somewhat warm inside. Almost like he wasn't scared of walking alone because he knew he'd never be alone here. It was a strange feeling, to have someone watch over you when you, in fact, didn't have anyone there with you.

The prospect of celebrating his birthday in Uzushio brought a smile to his face. Due to the timetable of the Gyorai caravan, he'd resigned himself to the idea that he'd be sleeping outside and in the bushes on his birthday, most likely with the horrible Gyorai family breathing down his neck while he did it as well.

But thankfully, he didn't have to worry about that anymore. Even if he still felt somewhat uncomfortable with the turn of events the mission took, he was happy to be able to spend his birthday elsewhere.

It's was the twenty-fourth of January and only one day remaining before he'd turn eleven. It was exciting, turning eleven.

Minato let out a small sigh.

He missed Naruto.

"I know you!" Someone suddenly declared. Minato turned to the source of the voice, finding himself looking at a familiar red-headed girl, inwardly he cursed. He also wasn't certain if she was glaring or frowning at him. Rude. "You're the girl-boy from Konoha!"

Minato frowned, a spike of irritation bubbling up from his stomach, "I'm not a 'girl-boy'. I'm just a boy."

The girl snorted, "You still look like a girl." her arms crossed over her chest. She then smirked, "Are you lost girl-boy?"

"I'm not a 'girl-boy'," he spoke tightly, "And no, I'm not lost. I'm waiting for my sensei and teammate."  _God_ , he wanted Naruto to get here  **now** , so he didn't have to deal with her anymore. He didn't dislike a lot of people, but damn, she was annoying. She rubbed him the wrong way, and he had no idea why. Perhaps it was because she was so rude the first time she'd met Naruto? And she didn't make an effort to make a good first impression either.

Kushina hummed, squinting her eyes at his headband, "So you became a genin, then? Me too." she stated proudly. The Uzumaki swirl glittered in the sunlight as she flexed the hitai-ate on her upper arm.

That worried Minato. If someone brash like Kushina could become a genin, then he'd need to make chunin as fast as possible. He didn't want to be the same rank as her. Childish as it might be, Kushina irked him. Irritated him like a rash. But the worst part was he knew it wasn't entirely justified. It was understandable that Kushina was in a mood when they'd first met. After all, there was a war taking place in her country, and she probably felt helpless. But even so! She didn't have to call him names! It was so rude!

"Congratulations," he said but turned to look out over the ground. He'd much rather spend his time looking for Naruto than talking to Kushina.

Much to his chagrin, she didn't seem to notice the dismissal and promptly took a seat next to him. Humming happily while the boy's eyebrow began to twitch in irritation.

"What are you doing in Uzushio?" she inquired, "Lots of Konoha kids come and go lately."

"C-ranks to help rebuild-"

"We don't need your help!" she snapped, suddenly on the defensive. Uzushio wasn't weak! Why did Konoha treat them like they were weak and fragile!?

Minato turned to her, his expression entirely flat, "I've noticed."

Kushina's cheeks puffed out, reddening in anger as, suddenly, someone called out-

"Mina!" A blond boy jogged around a pair of civilians, smiling apologetically as he made his way towards the furious Uzumaki and the nonchalant Namikaze. When Minato turned to his teammate, his face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Naru!" he jumped off the edge of the fountain, ignoring the red-head and making his way over to meet the boy halfway. "Did you see everyone you wanted to meet?"

"I did!" he nodded happily, "Man, this place is looking better already. A few more months, and it'll be back to normal." The day Uzushio turned back to normal would be a day to celebrate.

"Why do you have that!" Kushina stomped over; her finger pointed to the Uzumaki's ear. "You can't have that! Only real Seal Masters can wear that!"

Naruto seemed a little startled, not noticing the company Minato had. But he smiled all the same, "I am a Seal Master. I have a certificate for SML9. I just didn't have the opportunity to get the ear cuff until now. Toyoko-san wasn't in town the last time I was here."

Kushina stared at the boy for a long moment, mouth slightly agape. She then snorted loudly, quite un-lady like, and raised a single brow, "Yeah, right. I don't think so. Uzukage-sama said you were strong, but there's no way you're almost a Grand Seal Master. As if!"

Minato had the sudden urge to throttle her. Whenever she was around Naruto, she was always so rude! Why did she have to be so mean! She didn't even know him!

But... he couldn't defend Naruto, he looked sadly at his friend, Minato wasn't well versed enough to know what they were talking about.

"Maa," Naruto spoke mildly, in too much of a good mood to let her get him down. The first time they'd met wasn't exactly ideal, but Kushina was very much like himself so he couldn't really blame her for the lack of filter. "I know what I am and what I can do. Are you into fuinjutsu too?"

"Of course!" Kushina huffed, "I'm an Uzumaki through and through! Of course, I'd be a fuinjutsu practitioner. I'm already at level three."

Naruto blinked, a small smile forming on his lips, "That's impressive." he admitted, because it was, "Mina's at level two, I think."

Minato nodded in confirmation, "I just need a few more weeks to finish."

"Man, I wish I was a genius too." he let out a long-suffering sigh. "All I can do is thousands of copies of myself."

"What." Kushina stared at him flatly.

Naruto shrugged, "Shadow clones. How do you think I'm a Seal Master of the ninth level. That would take you a lifetime to accomplish," he snorted at the thought, "Without my clones, I doubt I'd be done with the first level at this age."

Kushina blinked slowly, processing the boy's words. Did that mean that Naruto wasn't some super extraordinary ninja? That worked for her. Falling so far behind another Uzumaki grated at her nervous and kick-started her competitive side with a vengeance.

"Shadow clones, was it?" she appeared thoughtful. "Teach me."

"Technically, I'm not allowed to teach anyone outside of Konoha. But, I suppose, theoretically, if you went to the library and looked in the section of clone theory and searched for 'shadow clones' then I wouldn't have told you anything. Right?" He smiled innocently as Kushina frowned in confusion.

Minato watched her incredulously. Was she  _that_  dense?

Her face slowly morphed into that of understanding and realisation, "Oh," she said, "Ooooh!" The girl then grinned, all teeth and mischief as she turned around, waving over her shoulder and took off and into the crowd. She had a library and a jutsu to get her hands on. 

Naruto chuckled, shoving his hands into his pants. Kushina was so much like him that it was scary. Just as dense as well. He was just thankful he'd grown out of most of it with age.

"Why did you help her?" Minato asked, rather confused. "She's not very nice..."

"Hmm? Ah, well, she and I are very similar."

"No way." Minato shook his head immediately, "You're  _nothing_  alike."

In a way, that hurt, Naruto realised. But he knew Minato didn't mean any harm and much less knew that Kushina was his mother in another life. Naturally, he was similar to both Minato and Kushina. It was in his genetics to be so. Naruto allowed the slight discomfort to wash away, not wanting to take it as anything negative when it wasn't meant that way. From what he'd gathered, Minato and Kushina weren't friends and didn't get along so there was nothing he could do. Perhaps in the future, they'd see eye to eye on things. Or not. Who knew with those two.

"She's not that bad." he chuckled, "Granted when I first met her, it wasn't the best impression I've had for someone. But given the circumstances at the time- I'd say she can be excused. I wasn't exactly friendly either."

"But you were hurt." Minato frowned, recalling the large patches of blood on the grass where Naruto had been resting before everyone had come to bother him. It still made him feel guilty.

The chunin blinked, surprised, "You knew I was hurt?"

The genin looked to the ground, nodding in a sombre manner, "There was a lot of blood on the grass."

"Oh... Yeah, that makes sense. But that doesn't change the fact that I was rude too. I was on edge after fighting for so long- and as you said; I was injured."

"I'm sorry, we made it worse back then." the boy said quietly, throat tightening at the memory.

But those feelings disappeared when he felt someone slip their hand into his, intertwining their fingers. Minato looked up at the blond boy, seeing a smile that warmed his soul and took his breath away. "Thank you for worrying about me Mina. Not a lot of people do that."

It was meant to sound like appreciation, but Minato only found that it stung even more. Because knowing that Naruto didn't feel like a lot of people cared about him-  _Him,_   _Uzumaki Naruto!_ It didn't feel nice at all. Naruto deserved so much more than he had.

His thoughts came to a halt when Naruto began to pull him through the crowd, "Come on, I want to show you something!"

Allowing the pain to subside, for the time being, Minato dutifully followed behind his friend as they moved through the beautiful streets of Uzushio.

They walked for a good twenty minutes, leaving the village behind and moving onto one of the large hills. The earth was uprooted in several places, proof enough that the country had seen war not too long ago. It made Minato a little sick to know that Naruto stood here several months ago, fighting for his life while he was in Konoha and patching wounds.

"Where are we going?" he asked softly.

Naruto looked over his shoulder, smiling brilliantly, "I want to show you my favourite place."

Something soared inside of him, his heart picking up speed as Naruto turned towards the front again. The genins cheeks burned for reasons he could not name. A smile, soft and beautiful pulled his lips gently to the sides as his fingers tightened around his friend's hand. He received a squeeze in return.

Naruto continued to guide Minato until they reached the top, he took a couple of additional steps forward but then sat down.

It was one of the rare places on the island that still had plenty of flowers on it and was relatively untouched. The view sure helped to sell the location as well. The horizon stretched far and wide, ocean in all directions and even some ships that headed to- and from the island. The ocean was a profound and dark admiral in the horizon, a brighter cobalt halfway to the shores and a beautiful sapphire above the reefs. The sight made the world feel untainted and untouched. Pure in a way that people rarely saw these days. People didn't stop long enough to appreciate the beauty of the world. Naruto had found that he could sit for hours on end, watching the world tick by as he enjoyed watching the ocean waves and the rustling of leaves. The sway of the grass and the dancing of flowers. He'd seen the world bleed and cry in pain, so watching the world like this meant everything to him. It was a reminder of what he was fighting for. Why he'd gone back in time and why he fought so hard to protect his home and loved ones.

It was for this. This beautiful view of the world. He'd never allow the sky to turn thick with smog and rising smoke from fires. He'd never let the scent of the trees to be tainted by the smell of blood and death. He never wanted to bury the people he loved, ever again. It was unrealistic, he knew, but he could always dream.

"Whenever I've got the time, I come here." He said, closing his eyes and savouring the soothing wind that lifted his blond locks, "I have two special places in the world. This is one, and the other is on top of the Sandaime's head on the Hokage monument. You can see the world from there. All the motivation you could ever need exists there, staring you right in the face."  
  
"Motivation?"  
  
Naruto smiled, leaning his shoulder into his friend's. He pointed towards the horizon, "Look at it.  _Truly_ , open your eyes and  _look_  at it." Minato did, trying to see what Naruto did, "This is what real beauty looks like. This is something worth fighting for. Something to protect with all your might and it's also something worth dying more." he stood up, took a couple of steps forward and held out his arms horizontally, "If this doesn't motivate people, I don't know what will. How can anyone look at this and wish to destroy it?"  
  
Minato was watching his friend, a boy he'd grown to respect and admire more and more for each day that passed. Every time Naruto opened his mouth, he seemed to either increase Minato's admiration for him or his desire to smile. Naruto could make him laugh with all his pranks and jokes, the way he bantered with Jiraiya and the way he teased him about minor things. But then he'd speak from his heart; warming Minato's soul and luring him closer as a fish caught on a hook. He didn't understand how someone like Naruto could exist in the world.   
  
The genin was standing before he knew it, feet taking him a couple of steps forward until he stood in front of the boy, a determined expression on his face. What he wanted to say, he wasn't certain, but he knew he had to say something. To get it off his chest, "One day I'll become strong enough, so you don't have to stand in front of me anymore. It might take some time, but I'll work hard so that we can protect it together. I don't care how difficult it is or what I'll have to do, but if we do it together, then that's all I'll ever need."  
  
Naruto's arms slowly lowered themselves to his sides, an unreadable look in his eyes.   
  
It was the right choice; he thought quietly- barely a whisper in his mind. It was the right choice to let Minato in. If they were together, then perhaps they actually could protect the world. He'd seen that look of determination in his own face enough times to know that Minato meant what he said. He'd work hard to stand next to him.   
  
It was hard to admit it, but Naruto had trouble letting people do that. Because that meant that he had to trust that they wouldn't get hurt and that they could protect themselves. That they were strong enough without him and without needing Naruto to stand in front of them like a shield, guarding their lives.   
  
It was scary.  _Terrifying_. Especially when that person was Minato. He didn't want him to get hurt, to die and go somewhere he couldn't follow. He didn't want to lose someone he couldn't see himself living without anymore. The mere idea of Minato dying again felt like hot knives slashing across his heart and soul.   
  
But Minato deserved better than a mother-hen who was both reckless and selfish when it came to his precious people. Minato deserved his trust, and deep down, Naruto knew that Minato was strong enough to protect himself and much more. It was hard accepting that. Allowing himself to truly believe that he'd be safe. But it was the least he could do. To trust Minato completely.  
  
"When you say it like that," he began quietly, "It's hard not to believe you."  
  
Minato grinned, "I don't go back on my word, not ever!"  
  
A sharp pain pierced his heart at the words, "I bet that's your nindo. To never go back on your word." Naruto couldn't help the slight pang of jealousy and sorrow in his chest. In another lifetime he'd had the same one. A nindo that he followed and became famous for. But it was also a burden of promises that ended up destroying his village through Sasuke. He'd never become brave enough to call it his nindo again, but perhaps he could follow someone else who carried it. If that person was Minato... well, that made it even easier. But it still hurt because that nindo used to be such a large part of who he was. Now, he couldn't stand to claim it as his own again. Not after everything he'd lived through.   
  
"It is!" the genin said fiercely, "I always keep my promises."  
  
"Then that's alright. I'm not strong enough for a nindo like that- so I'll have to settle with ' _I'll never give up_ '." Naruto took a step forward, surprising the other boy just a little. But the sudden need for comfort forced the chunin to throw rational thoughts to the wind as he placed his forehead on Minato's shoulder, closing his eyes as he tried to ease the pain in his heart.  
  
Why did it hurt so much to accept when something that was part of your identity no longer was? That something was out of your reach for all eternity. Naruto wasn't one to give up, never shying away from the impossible... but pain and experience taught him otherwise and that hurt. His ever optimistic and younger self would have given him an earful, but what could he do?  
  
Perhaps, he absently wondered, it would be alright this way? If he kept half of his nindo and allowed Minato to carry the other, then his burden wouldn't be as heavy as it used to be. If they stuck to each others side, then they could both carry his legendary nindo. Not alone, but as two pieces of a single one. Together they would become what he used to have the strength to be, but no longer had.   
  
For all Naruto's will to never give up- compared to a lot of people, Naruto's soul was old and tired. At the prospect of having someone by his side through the ordeals and trials to come, he didn't find that it felt as daunting as before.    
  
Naruto's arms moved around the older boy, allowing his presence to ground him while he sorted through his feelings and turmoil.   
  
"I think that's a great nindo," Minato whispered, embracing his friend in return. "I'm happy you're my friend." he then blushed, hesitating with his next words, "My best friend."

"Sometimes I'm more trouble than I'm worth, Mina." he argued lightly, but it lacked any real effort to convince him otherwise.  
  
"I don't care." he smiled into the younger boy's shoulder, "I've always liked challenges."  
  
Naruto snorted quietly, "Yeah, well, challenges would be putting it mildly. Difficult to epic proportions is more accurate." he then continued softly, "No take backs, alright? You can't quit halfway."  
  
"I won't quit." he reassured.   
  
"Good," Naruto slipped a hand into his pocket, pulling something out and raising his hands around the boy's neck. "I know it's tomorrow, but happy birthday Mina."  
  
He took a step back, allowing Minato to see his gift.   
  
Said boy lifted the small weight with his hand, looked down at the thing Naruto had put around his neck.   
  
Minato turned to Naruto in bewilderment, "This-"  
  
"It suits you. Don't lose it, okay?"  
  
He didn't know what to say as he stared down at the necklace. Minato didn't care what anyone said because he could feel it through the weight of the thin chain and the casing of the pendant; it was real  **gold**.  
  
The pendant itself was a deep and vibrant orange gemstone. He wasn't certain what type, but he made a note to find out when he got the chance. The gem was cut and shaped into a small miniature fire, much like the one people fancied in Konoha.   
  
When Naruto saw it at Toyoko's stand after remembering that it was Minato's birthday the following day- he'd been sold immediately. Maybe it was a bit expensive because he couldn't remember the price-tag anymore. He'd pushed it from his memory so he could give it away with some form of happiness. Otherwise the only thing he'd hear would be the faint echo of his wallet.   
  
The fire opal was a much-appreciated bonus.   
  
After all, Minato's Will of Fire was unrivalled by anyone.  
  
Now the world would know that he carried it with him- always.   
  
"I love it..." he looked up, tears burning behind his eyes as he threw his arms around his best friend, hugging the living life out of him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  
  
"I'm happy you like it. I didn't want to get you more books- you've got tons of those already. So I thought you'd like something you could wear instead. You're going to get lots of practical things from Ero-sennin, but I wanted mine to be different." Naruto explained, happy that Minato loved his gift so much. He'd been nervous about it- unsure if he even liked jewellery in the first place.   
  
"Do I even want to know what you paid for it?" Minato pulled back, gently picking up the orange stone again. He watched it with something akin to love in his eyes.   
  
Naruto chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head, "Probably not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up; TIMESKIP!


	33. Devil in Disguise

Naruto stood in front of his bedroom mirror; eyes fixed on the small mark he'd just drawn with a pen on the white frame. He remembered quite clearly that his unhealthy diet during his childhood caused him to receive a stunted growth while growing up- but not by  _this_  much. Compared to before in his first life, he was already four inches taller than he used to be at the age of ten- almost eleven.

A part of him was hurting, feeling betrayed by the people who'd claimed to be his parent's friends. To have let him grow up with so little care and love, to the point where he didn't even grow as he should have.

But the larger part, the part that had begun to accept the idea of living an entirely new life in another era- felt _excited_. He wasn't just a whole new person in this world, but would ultimately look different from his old self as well. His coloring might be the same- but his height wouldn't be and judging by the diet he had, neither would his weight. He ate a well-rounded and balanced diet that would keep him healthy and strong. But he also looked happier than he could remember ever being.

Yet, sometimes, he'd sink into a depression. The weight of the world was still resting on his shoulders, but it didn't last for very long. No, instead he'd wake up every day, a smile on his face despite the escalating war at the borders. It just didn't measure up to the sheer magnitude of the wars he'd been in. For all he felt, people could be standing by the border and playing rock-paper-scissor with each other and throwing nasty words back and forth. It was like children bullying each other on the playground in comparison. It didn't bring him down as much as one would expect. Naturally, the logical part of his mind knew that wasn't true and that once Minato made chunin, they'd be tossed into the fray as well. But Naruto wasn't concerned. He also wasn't afraid. Not anymore.

Because during the time he'd been on the same team as Minato, the boy had grown leaps and bounds. So much so that Naruto felt a little peeved about it. The amount of natural talent that Minato possessed showed itself more and more, and it felt a little intimidating, to be honest. But then he would remember who he was and what slumbered inside of him. It was easy to forget that he had the power to tear mountains apart when his real strength was used so rarely.   
  
Still, to Naruto, Minato was incredible. Unlike him, Minato didn't have anything that could be considered 'cheats' like a sealed bijuu or a Kekkei Genkai, enormous Uzumaki reserves or ungodly stamina. If all of that were stripped away from Naruto, 'therapy jutsu' would be the only thing that remained and that was a useless talent to have. At least according to himself. Talking people to death or submission didn't appeal to him anymore, and he didn't enjoy getting invested in the lives of his enemies anymore either. That part of his life was over.

But Minato didn't think it a useless talent at all. Quite the opposite. To him, Naruto's ability to motive and inspire people left him in awe. It drew him in and made him turn to his chunin friend for advice for practically everything. Naruto always had something brilliant to say and a new perspective on things. A beautiful perspective as well.

Minato loved listening to him when he went into his 'old man'-mode, as Jiraiya liked to call it. It was easy to forget that he wasn't supposed to know so much about the deeper meanings of life. Since Naruto was a person that liked to talk, that often resulted in 'old man'-mode surfacing as he threw around wisdom or, as he'd like to call it; bullshit. But then Minato's eyes would shimmer with something he couldn't quite name, so he'd continue to talk that way. Because seeing someone listening to him so completely, so unconditionally, made him very happy.

Sure, he'd been Hokage and had  _countries_  listen to him, but having someone do that out of their own free will and not out of obligation was different. Minato wanted him to talk the way he did because it was part of who Naruto was. And from what Naruto understood, that was also what Minato liked about him. Not to mention, he genuinely seemed to like what he said too.   
  
That was the reason as to why Naruto couldn't bring himself to part with his friend for too long. He felt protective of him. There was nobody like him, and Naruto didn't want to lose him for anything in the world. The older boy made him feel better, happier. Perhaps even lighter than he could remember ever feeling.

But, as it was, he knew all too well that he worried himself a decade older about the boy.

Which, currently, was exactly what he was doing. The only reason he was still in his room- was that if he left, then he'd be fussing and asking Minato a million questions. He knew Minato would be okay and that he'd do well, but it didn't help convince the loud and annoying part of his brain that wanted to know if Minato packed a pair of extra underwear.

Which, for that matter, was weird as  _hell_ to bring to a written exam.

He sighed, getting tired of himself and the silly worrying.  _He was a grown man, dammit!_  He wasn't going to get anywhere with this.

"You ready?" Jiraiya's voice carried in the room. The man watched his adoptive son stand in front of his mirror, a frown on his face. Naruto did that a lot lately.

"I've grown four more inches than I did the first time around," Naruto said, something unreadable in his tone, "Was it really that bad?" he asked.

The Sannin couldn't quite stop the wave of guilt he felt, "Aa, it was pretty bad. Both of them were tall. Your height wasn't what it should have been."

Naruto was shorter, much shorter than his friends growing up. He'd grown to be a good 5'6 in time, but that wasn't tall enough for someone of his pedigree. His father had been 5'10 when he died. In time Jiraiya didn't doubt that he might have grown a little bit more as well. Minato died very young after all. Kushina was also tall, yet still growing. She'd been around 5'7 when she perished. But he didn't know if she would have grown much more. One could only speculate on these things. But in regards to Naruto- he should have been closer to his father's height when he stopped growing.

"I want to see what I'll look like when I grow up again. This time it feels like I've been given the same starting line." Naruto turned to his new father, smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets, "Realistically, I should be tired of life at this point... but I want to see what happens next."

Jiraiya smiled fondly, "It's good to see that fire back inside of you again. I've missed it."

The boy chuckled, smiled wistfully in the mirror and said, "Me too."

"Let's go. If we leave now, we'll still be able to catch Minato before he enters the exam."

"Osu."

 

* * *

 

Minato was calm. His pulse even and steady as his eyes fixed to the Academy where he'd graduated not even six months prior. It felt like a lifetime ago. Time had passed so fast after joining team seven that he could barely believe he was already trying out for  _chunin_.

But he wasn't worried. Naruto was confident, and so was Jiraiya, which meant that so was he.  _'You're ready.'_  The Sannin had said, almost a month before the actual exam. It didn't stop him though; he'd continued to work hard and pushed his studies even further. He was already dabbling in fuinjutsu level four, the stage of when you started to build your own seals from scratch. It opened up a whole new world to him. There was so much you could do- that you could create if you had the imagination and creativity for it. It made him practically giddy when he thought about it.

He was faster, stronger than ever before and with a few new seals drawn on tags, two wind natured ninjutsu's, the Rasengan and his mind- he was ready. Compared to the Uchiha or the Hyuuga, he didn't have a Kekkei Genkai to fall back on. All he had was his own hard work and his brain. Had it not been for his natural talent for wind ninjutsu- he probably wouldn't have had them ready for the exam.

Finding out he'd been wind natured like Naruto had him grinning for days. They'd practiced together, learning and honing their techniques side by side. On the other end, Jiraiya focused on rules, laws, theory and the more 'educational' things. Minato found that he learned the best that way; the practical things from Naruto and the academic ones from Jiraiya. For all Naruto's greatness- laws and the inner workings of jutsu theory or history just weren't his thing. He could respect that.

"Mina!"

Minato spun around, grinning from ear to ear as Naruto waved his hand, smiling just as brightly. "You ready for this?" he asked.

The genin nodded in determination, "I'm ready!" it wasn't a lie.

"Do you have everything you need? You can never be too prepared with these things." Naruto looked him over, making sure he had all his weapons, sealing equipment and gear. Naruto walked around him, poking and prodding the genin's weapons pouch, lifting his clothes and knocking a little on his head to make sure Minato's brain was in place, "Looks good."

"Don't worry. I'll be alright." Minato reassured his friend with a soft smile, "I'm confident."

A sliver of worry flashed through the chunins eyes, a small frown on his face. He wasn't reassured though. "Don't forget to always look-"

"-underneath the underneath. I know, I remember." Minato chuckled, placing his hands on Naruto's shoulders, "Have a little faith in me Naru. I can do this."

Naruto sighed and then smiled gently, "I know. I do. But it'll be the first time you team up with someone that isn't us, and I'm just worried."

Minato's hands slid past Naruto's shoulders, and he pulled him into a firm hug, "Watch me, okay? I want to show you what I can do."

Jiraiya smiled, the sight warming his heart. Seeing the two of them, two boys that felt like his own sons, it made him feel nothing but pride and joy. Those two were going to be great. They were already inseparable from each other, joined by the hips, and he didn't doubt for a second that this was only the beginning. The way they looked at each other, like two pieces of one, it promised greatness.

One could almost say that it was 'cute.' But if he mentioned that in front of Naruto, he'd get a kick to the balls, so he refrained from saying it.

"It's time," Jiraiya spoke up, watching the two boys separate from each other. Minato nodded firmly, eyes burning with determination and excitement. Naruto bit the inside of his cheek but then rolled his shoulders, "Knock 'em dead." he said.

With a peace-sign and a grin, Minato turned around and entered the Academy. 

 

* * *

 

The moment he did, he found his temporary team standing to the side of the hallway, most likely waiting for him.

"You're late." Uchiha Fugaku frowned. But Minato was unperturbed, rolling his eyes before grinning at Nara Shikaku who seemed to wish he could be anywhere but where he currently was.

"Yo." the Nara said, "Been a while, Minato." he drawled, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Shikaku, how're you doing?" he asked, the three of them began to walk through the corridor to reach their designated classroom where they'd be taking the first exam. "I haven't been in the village a lot lately."

"I've noticed." Shikaku appeared amused, "I'm fine though. Sensei is running us ragged, which I have you two to thank for." he said, a little annoyed but a small smile playing on his lips.

Minato chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry about that. I had no idea what Naru was planning at the time. I just go with the flow. Otherwise, I'd probably end up on the receiving end of his plans more than I already do."

"Uzumaki have been known for crazy ideas. Insane, one might argue." Fugaku stated flatly. "I'm surprised you're as stable as you are after remaining in his company for so long."

Now, any other time Minato might have let that slide because he could take a joke. He liked jokes. But hearing someone talk about his best friend that way- like he was a hazard to Minato health, that kind of ticked him off. Actually, it **really**  ticked him off.

As such, Minato turned to the Uchiha on his left, smiled softly and said, "Don't insult my best friend. Please. "

Shikaku felt a strange, involuntary shiver run down his spine. He swallowed, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.  _Crap_.

 _Minato was_   _pissed!_

But Fugaku didn't appear to notice, or perhaps he didn't care. He scowled, "I speak nothing but the truth. It's a known fact that he's...  _peculiar_."

"And it's a known fact that you have a superiority complex and a stick up your ass." Minato continued to smile, turning towards the front and continuing to walk forward, ignoring the murderous look his former classmate sent his way.

Shikaku jogged after this friend, looking over his shoulder and barely withholding the hysterical laughter that desperately wanted to escape him, "He's murdering you with his eyes, you know." he informed the blond, in case he couldn't feel the hot knives Fugaku mentally stabbed him with.

"He's an Uchiha. It's the only thing he can do."

Shikaku snorted loudly, chuckling until he couldn't stop himself and ended up laughing loudly in the hallway. Fugaku was several paces behind them, glaring with all his might. He was going to hate this exam. He was going to pass, and then he was going to rub it so hard into Minato's face that he'd start  _crying_. He  **hated**  blonds.

Several chunin guards, genin teams and random shinobi alike, watched the three of them walk through the Academy. One of them glaring and grimacing so hard it looked like he was holding in a giant turd, the other was laughing hysterically while the third walked as if though his two companions didn't look like two escaped patients of a mental asylum.

This years batch of genin were messed up, many concluded.

Minato quickly located the room for the exam and entered, eyes moving across the occupants and taking in their appearances. Memorizing and committing them to memory. From now on, they were his opponents. His enemies.

Shikaku wiped his tears of mirth, chuckling slightly as he turned around to make sure Fugaku was keeping up with them. He was, and he was still glaring, although this time it was directed at everyone else around the room.  _Yikes, moody Uchiha coming through._

"What do you think the exam will be about?" Shikaku asked quietly, "There's a lot of us here." over a hundred at least; he did a quick headcount.

"According to sensei, the exam is split into three parts; information, survival and then combat. Judging by that, the last part will most likely be some kind of one on one combat. The survival section might be a mock-mission of some sort and this part... well, it could be anything. But I'd like to think it's going to be a test to see how good we are at understanding information, gathering it and also utilizing it. But it's only speculations." Minato shrugged lightly, gaze still wandering over his future opponents.

Shikaku blinked repeatedly. A long and heavy sigh escaped him. This was going to be  **SO**  troublesome. 

 

* * *

 

Naruto was restless. Sitting in a chair and watching something unfold like the first exam was nerve-wracking. It didn't help that every single person in the room was practically biting their nails. All except Jiraiya who was reading one of his own nasty books with a disturbing grin on his face.

Bloody pervert.

Why was Naruto nervous? Well, he wanted Minato to pass. To make chunin.

It's was also a combination of paranoia from his own chunin exam experience. He knew nothing like that would happen, but he hated the chunin exams on principle. Having Shikaku there was reassuring, but he couldn't say the same for the Uchiha. The way he glared at Minato pissed him off.  _So, God help me, if Sasuke's father touched a hair on his head._ He'd prevent the boy from ever reproducing!

"Relax." Jiraiya drawled, "It's Minato. Do you honestly expect him to fail?"

"Of course not. He's brilliant." Naruto frowned.

"Then why are you so worked up?" He turned to the next page. "Or do you have to go to the bath room?"

"Shut up Ero-sennin! I happen to have my reasons since my own attempt at these damn exams  _sucked_." Which, to be fair, was an understatement.

"Nothing happens in the exam."  _Not this time._

Naruto sighed. "I know... I'm just on edge. I don't like when I can't predict things. Especially when my teammate's involved."

"Understandable. But he'll be fine." he added in a quiet voice, "He's a lot stronger than he used to be." But it was unnecessary since everyone was paying attention to the screens that moved between the occupants of the room. "There's nothing in these exams that he can't tackle."

Naruto knew he was right. He took a deep, calming breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

A familiar voice carried through the speaker in the room, and Naruto promptly allowed his head to fall down, a small whimper escaping him, " _Come on!_ "

 

* * *

 

Minato stood patiently by his teammates. His nerves were under control and strangely enough, when Shimpei Taketa entered the room, his nerves completely disappeared. A small smile pulled at his lips instead.

Taketa worked in the TI department and was a brilliant shinobi. He also liked mind-games like no other. That meant that Minato's theory of information gathering of some sort was most likely the case. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy this exam.

"Listen up brats, or adults whose comprehension for failure has dulled," Taketa drawled, ignoring the slightly outraged genin who had a couple of years on their necks, "I'm Shimpei Taketa, and I'm your proctor for this part of the exams. What I say goes, and if you piss me off, I'll disqualify your ass. I don't care if you're the love child of the Sage of the Six Paths- you disobey me, you're out of the exam. Are we clear?"

A couple of people nodded-

"I said;  **Are we clear?** "

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. This section of the exam is divided into three parts. As a team, your objective is to complete the obstacles and go through a door like that one over there," he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. Behind him was a large double door in black. "When the exam starts, you will go to the next room when I call you. There you will find a box. It's your job to open it, solve the riddle, and head to the red door to your left. If you've solved the riddle correctly, you'll be able to enter the room. When you do, you will search for a message hidden inside of it, when you find it- memorize it and then hide it again." He let his eyes roam over the occupants of the room, "You move as a team, and you fail as a team. Now, rules."

Taketa began to pace back and forth, "One! Nobody is allowed to utter a word once the exam starts. If you do, you and your entire team are disqualified instantly. Two! You have four minutes to open the box. If you can't do it, you fail, and you're disqualified! Three, you have one shot at opening the red door and if you fail- the door will go into automatic lockdown, and you fail! Four, you have ten minutes to find, decode and hide the message in the room again. If you haven't by the time the clock runs out," he grinned wickedly, "Guess what? You fail."  
  
There was a low murmuring in the crowd, worry and concern being at the top of the list of things people felt. But Minato felt rather excited. It probably wasn't the most normal reaction, but he found that the challenge was terribly exciting. He was good at these kinds of things.   
  
"Team Dendo, you're up."  


* * *

  
  
  
The three genin remained in the back of the room, watching with calculating eyes how teams returned and were showed to the doors after getting disqualified. There was a lot of them, many of which looked disheartened or furious at their teammates.   
  
"We'll be going in soon," Shikaku stated, his gaze following yet another disqualified team.  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Do we have a plan?" Minato asked. He was good at making plans, but Shikaku was a Nara, and his plans were usually far more thought out than his own. He could make a good plan, but not as fast as Shikaku.   
  
"Taketa-san mentioned a box. He also said there was a time-limit to how long we could take to try and open it up. There are only so many boxes that require a full four minutes to open; a yosegi-zaiku. A puzzle box." Shikaku explained, "You wouldn't know Minato, but the Nara and many other clans use those puzzle boxes as toys for kids. They're difficult to open because they look like a regular wooden cube. No handles, no uneven edges or even minor openings. You have to press a select few places at the same time for it to open."  
  
"While I have trained with them during my younger years, I haven't tried for a long time since, and I'm not convinced I could open it under four minutes," Fugaku stated, much to the other two's surprise. It wasn't often an Uchiha openly admitted he wasn't good at something.   
  
"I've never opened one before," Minato admitted sheepishly.  
  
Shikaku shrugged, "It's fine. I've done it a bunch of times."  
  
"And the second part?" Fugaku inquired.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure, but from what I've heard the Uchiha are trained to solve riddles and puzzles to help prepare you for your Kekkei Genkai," the Nara half-asked, half stated. He earned a nod from the raven-haired boy, "In that case you are our best bet on the second part. I might be able to solve it as well, but with your Sharingan, you can pick up more details than I can with a single glance."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"That leaves the red room." Minato mused aloud. He liked that part especially.   
  
"You'll do that one. You've always been clever and good at picking up clues and trails other people leave behind."  
  
The blond boy nodded, rubbing his hands together as excitement and anticipation began to surface yet again.   
  
"Taketa-san never said you couldn't place traps in the room, correct? So long as it wasn't obvious." Minato wondered lightly, his mind already cooking up a couple of plans.   
  
Fugaku said nothing but he nodded all the same. Shikaku let out a sigh, leave it to Minato to make the test even more troublesome.   
  
"Team Rookie," Taketa called, eyeing the three of them with a slight smirk.   
  
"That's the worst name I've ever heard," Shikaku muttered.  


* * *

  
  
  
The three of them didn't have to be reminded to keep silent once the door closed behind them.   
  
They instantly got to work. Fugaku activated his Sharingan, scouting their surroundings to make sure there weren't any traps in the area before giving the sign that it was all clear for the team to continue. Shikaku shot forward.  
  
The box stood in the middle of the room. It wasn't bigger than his own head, but it was heavy. That meant that there was something inside of it. He decided to be careful, uncertain if it was something fragile that could break. His fingers trailed over the smooth and plain wood, pushing and pressing every so slightly. Suddenly, he found one of the many pressure points. That particular location could be one of seven combinations known to him. He tried one and failed, ruling out four of them. That left three. He found another one and the two points reminded him of a combination he'd seen from one of the boxes in his father's office. With nothing to lose, he tried it.   
  
With eight of his fingers touching the box, he took a small inhale of breath, pressed his fingers firmly into the wood and received a satisfying 'click' in return. He smirked, seeing Minato give him a thumbs up as Fugaku moved forward, leaning down as he looked inside of the puzzle box.  
  
He frowned, Sharingan activating again as he memorized the order of the random numbers and letters. There was a pattern, he realized. Yet with seemingly no apparent connection to one another.   
  
But he knew better than to believe that.   
  
The numbers and letters were connected and part of a cipher. Most likely the key they'd need in the next room. Fugaku gestured for Minato to take a look. He did, leaning forward and frowned, creating a mantra in his mind where he repeated the numbers and letters. Minato nodded, satisfied and certain he remembered them all.   
  
Fugaku double checked the numbers once again, confident that he had the right combination for the door.   
  
It would be a five letter and number combination; 3FIRE  
  
A rather obvious code when he thought about it. And it could mean one of two things; the Sandaime or a team of three in Konoha. Regardless, it almost made him snort. They sure weren't original in these exams.   
  
The raven-haired boy headed for the red door, his temporary teammates close behind him.   
  
As he thought; the lock on the door required five separate letters or numbers. Fugaku didn't hesitate as he spun the numbers around the thick metal lock. _As expected_ , the Uchiha thought smugly, the door opened with a soft 'click.'   
  
Next up was Minato. 

He took a step into the room, immediately crouched down on the floor and closed his eyes. Confusing the two behind him. But he paid them no mind, his attention focused on his surroundings. The room was decorated and built like an ordinary living room. Bookcases, a sofa, a table, pillows and plants, a couple of paintings and a large rug on the floor.  
  
The technique he used was something Naruto taught him a few months prior. It was unusual, but it worked, and Minato couldn't help but wonder why it wasn't part of every shinobi's repertoire. If you centered yourself and stretched your chakra around you, thin enough to almost go undetected, you could feel when it connected with foreign chakra and was pushed aside.   
  
It was like mist connecting to a solid surface. In theory anyway. Naruto wasn't all that good at explaining things, but he sure did come up with brilliant ways to use chakra. Basically, if you decreased the density of it, it would naturally get pushed away when chakra stronger than your own connected with it. A simple case of physics.   
  
Minato continued to stretch it, moving a little to the side when his reach couldn't go any further without losing control. As he did, a small disturbance in his chakra made him snap his eyes open. He didn't hesitate, moving over to the bookshelf and pulling out the book that had pushed his chakra away. It was stupid, Minato thought. That the one before them had used their chakra to glue the pages of the book together to prevent them from taking the message out from between the pages. If they'd just placed the message there without the chakra, then he wouldn't have been able to find it as fast.   
  
Chakra left traces behind that others could follow. That was a bad tactic.   
  
Now, all Minato had to do was open the book, unglue the pages with his own chakra and remove the note. So, naturally, he did.   
  
He put the book back, eyeing the small note in his hand and shook his head, letting out an amused sigh. Taketa was definitely the one that wrote it.   
  
_'Brats'_  
  
Minato turned to his former classmates, tapping his wrist to ask for the time.   
  
Shikaku held up four fingers.   
  
Four minutes in. That left six minutes to hide the message and exit the room.   
  
Now, Minato could have made it easy by simply hiding it under the sofa or pressing it into the soil of the plant. But, this was a competition of sorts- and Minato didn't plan to lose.  
  
As such, he opened his mouth, pressed the note into it and began to chew.   
  
Shikaku stared at him flatly, Fugaku looking mildly disgusted but intrigued.   
  
The blond boy casually walked around the room, pulling out the small ball of paper from his mouth and pressed it onto the back of one of the paintings.   
  
Technically, nobody said you couldn't destroy the note when you were finished.   


* * *

  
  
  
"Oooh," Jiraiya chortled, "That's  **evil!** _I like it!_ "   
  
The number of death glares he received went unnoticed, and Naruto laughed shamelessly. 


	34. Survival of the fittest- or fastest...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Squeals*

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think it's funny." Taketa leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head.

The Hokage sighed, and the other jounin proctors grimaced.

Because of Namikaze Minato's stunt in the first part of the exam, over half of the teams were disqualified due to the inability to locate the message. It wasn't how Taketa originally intended the test to be completed, but there was nothing in the rules that stated that they couldn't destroy the note to keep it from the other teams. The only requirement was that they had to hide it from the team that came after them. Minato  _did_  hide it, but he... well, he chewed on it and stuck it behind a painting.

In all honesty, Taketa thought it was genius, as did the Hokage. The problem was, now there weren't enough teams for the final two stages. There were one-hundred and twenty-three genin in the exam. That made forty-one teams. Due to Minato's stunt, there were only eleven teams left.

Thirty-three genin, including the Rookie Team responsible for it.

It also made the next two stages a headache and a half.

The next part of the exam was the survival test. A mock-mission that pitted the teams against one another and aimed to eliminate half of them, if not more.

Now, that wouldn't be so bad. Half of eleven teams were at least five teams. Which meant fifteen genins in the tournament.

But this was the Forest of Death. The Anbu training grounds. Where everything from the insects to the plants tried to kill you on top of the other teams.

The problem was; the only Konoha genin in the group was the Rookie Team, the rest were foreigners from Kusa, Taki, and Ame. Konoha was at war with the other nations and wouldn't be caught dead in their villages right now. However, this meant that the foreign shinobi had a higher chance to fall victim to the environment. It was common knowledge that whichever village hosted the exams- the genin from that village would have an undeniable advantage since they knew the terrain.

Only half of the foreign teams that entered the survival tests were expected to remain or even complete the test. That left six teams to fight each other and reach the tower in the middle of the forest. That meant that only three teams would make it and in turn, nine genins.

However, unexpected things happen, and that number was estimated with the expectations of every single team confronting another one and fighting. Should they run into two teams and end up in a three-way fight... Well, then they'd be down to six genins.

This had never happened before. And the Hokage wasn't sure of what he could do about it. Allowing a certain number of teams to continue to the next stage without passing the first was out of the question. Regardless of the tactics used, they didn't meet the requirements of the task they'd been given.

Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temple. At worst, they'd have to skip the tournament section. Such a small number of genin didn't justify the significant amount of funds the arena tournament required. Neither did it the long journey for all the lords of the land.

They created a little devil in that Namikaze boy. 

 

* * *

 

Minato was sitting against one of the large gates to training ground forty-four. He wasn't worried, Neither was Shikaku. The only one in their team that hadn't been there before was Fugaku, but the stick up his ass prevented him from admitting aloud that he was scared. As such, both Minato and Shikaku ignored his twitching and focused on their own thoughts.

Shikaku was wondering if the tower had soft beds and a clear view of the sky. He'd gladly spend some time cloud-watching when they reached the tower. Because they would, without a doubt, reach it.   
The team had been given a mission scroll. They couldn't open it, and it was meant to be delivered to the tower within four days. Half of the remaining eleven teams received mission scrolls. It was the task of the other half to intercept and take the scroll for themselves.

This might have worried him- if it wasn't for the fact that he was used to running for dear life in the Forest of Death. Fugaku was fast and agile, and Minato was the fastest genin out of them all, which meant that they had an advantage to their already advantageous position. They'd reach the tower very quickly if they could avoid all the other teams.

Meanwhile, Minato trailed his fingers over the fire opal of his golden necklace. Before, his yellow pen used to be his most prized possession, but not anymore. The fine jewelry around his neck was his treasure. The golden chain shimmered in the sun, and the fire opal almost glowed in his hand.

He wanted to wear it all the time- never taking it off, but he was scared of losing it or destroying it. But thanks to Jiraiya, the necklace now had little seals engraved on it. It would prevent it from breaking, from sliding off his neck and from being taken away from him without his consent. Minato was the only one capable of removing it.

The gold looked foreign in his hand. It always did. Such fine things didn't belong to someone like him. At least according to himself. But because of that, his adoration for it continued to grow without any sign of stopping. Whenever he needed a moment to himself, to think or to simply calm down- he would take the pendant in his hand and allow the cold metal and gem to center him.

It made him think of his best friend. The blond boy who always made it a point to smile whenever they spoke. His teammate that helped him and supported him without question. Naruto- who always believed in him. It wasn't a case of 'I'm not sure that's possible,' but rather 'Let's do it.' whenever he had ideas which he wanted to try.

Maybe it was silly, but Minato missed him terribly. He liked Shikaku and could work with Fugaku- but they weren't Naruto.  _His_  Naruto. The thought of making Naruto proud, however, eased the longing in his heart. If he did well in the exam, then he'd be a chunin just like Naruto. Then the two of them would be able to take the jounin exams together- as a team.

Minato allowed a smile to adore his face, eyes warm and fond as he marveled at his beautiful necklace yet again. Perhaps he could save up his earnings and buy something similar to Naruto?

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt when the long awaited; "Get ready!" erupted from the speakers beside the gate. He stood up, tucking his treasure inside of his dark gray hoodie and flexed his fingers.

_He was ready._

"Plan?" Fugaku eyed the two boys.

"We're going up the trees and then we're booking it straight for the tower. If we push as much as we can, then they won't be able to catch us." Shikaku said simply, rolling his shoulders as Fugaku gained a contemplating look on his face.

"Naru taught me how to make chakra concealment seals a few weeks ago." Minato pulled out three paper tags from his back pouch, "They'll shield our chakra signature and shrink it. If anyone in there is a sensor, they'll only feel signatures the size of squirrels."

"Convenient." Fugaku allowed stiffly, ignoring the roll of Shikaku's eyes. The Uchiha became rather broody when Minato talked about his friend.

"How do we put them on?" Shikaku asked, taking one of them in his hand.

"Just put them on your hand and push a little of your chakra into it. It'll stick to your skin like a small tattoo. You deactivate it the same way." Minato smiled, pushing a little chakra into his own tag and watched the black ink sink into his skin.

The other two followed and not without a moment to spare.

The gate opened, and the three of them rushed forward. 

 

* * *

 

Jiraiya was on guard duty, and that left Naruto to wander the accursed tower on his own. He hated it. It brought back so many unpleasant memories that he felt a shiver run down his spine at every corner he crossed. It didn't help that Orochimaru would walk up and down the halls, pen and notebook in hand and give him strange looks. Naruto knew Orochimaru was writing some sort of book about him- why, he had no bloody idea. But the way Orochimaru looked at him sometimes; thoughtful and almost curious... Well, he'd be a liar if he said that didn't creep him out a bit.

Don't get him wrong, Oro was cool. Pretty awesome even. The two of them got along surprisingly well and when he wasn't looking at him like he was an experiment or a new species he tried to figure out- Orochimaru could even be considered a good friend.

It was weird, seeing Orochimaru as a comrade and ally. Back in his own original time- that thought would have made him laugh at its sheer absurdity.

Now he couldn't bring himself to imagine the man as anything close to an enemy.

He hadn't told anyone, but to Naruto, Orochimaru was quickly turning into the half-sane, half-strange uncle he never had. And Naruto found that he didn't mind at all. Tsunade was the same as always- minus the drinking and severe depression. She was also the one he saw the least of.

Apparently, she was busy training her little brother whom he'd met a couple of times; Senju Nawaki. He was a newly promoted chunin. And if she wasn't training him then she was making out with her boyfriend Dan on a park-bench somewhere.

That brought up another pressing issue for the time-travelers. Those two were going to die before this war was over. The problem was; they only knew the time and date for Nawaki's death. Not Dan's. Nawaki would activate a trap on accident and get blown to pieces. That was easy enough to prevent, but Dan's wasn't.

Naruto nor Jiraiya knew how he'd died. Jiraiya was out of the village at the time of his death, and the only time-frame he had to work with was a whopping three months. That made it practically impossible. It didn't help that Tsunade never spoke about it back in the day.

Ultimately it would be Jiraiya's job to prevent it- if at all possible. But it wasn't looking good.

But Nawaki's case was easier. The boy would step into a trap on his fourth B-rank mission. If Jiraiya managed to coax Naruto into that mission, then there was no chance in hell Nawaki would die. With a couple of well-placed words and suggestions- then Tsunade would be all for it and so would Hiruzen. It was easy enough to claim that Jiraiya had heard some suspicious rumors about the area and that it was best to send Naruto along-  _just in case_.

Nobody could argue with that.

In that way, Naruto wasn't worried about Nawaki. But the problem with Dan ate away at him. He already knew that Jiraiya was moving small pieces around- trying to save some of his own classmates from their fates. Putting Dan's life on his shoulders wasn't fair.

They'd learned the hard way that saving someone wasn't easy. Manipulating one event could trigger another and cause the same result. You couldn't save everyone. It just didn't work that way.

To add to that; Jiraiya and Naruto were only human. So far the only ones to know about their true identity and purpose was the former Uzukage and the current. They were sworn to secrecy, and it was Naruto's and Jiraiya's intention to keep it that way. While they wanted to help the people of Konoha- information had a way of finding its way into the hands of those that shouldn't have it. With Danzo still alive- that was a huge issue.

The two of them, while selfish in a way, didn't want others to get involved. They didn't need other people trying to change their fates and causing significant changes. Everything they did had consequences, and a lot of planning went into the changes that the time-travelers did do.

Unfortunately, some things had to play out. It was a burden of knowledge.

They both knew that they were practically playing gods.

But to rid Madara and Zetsu from the world- that is what they were prepared to do. If anyone found out about them after they'd accomplished their goals... Well, it didn't matter. It was easy enough to seal those memories away with the help of the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques.

Something that Arashi offered- should they need it.

Not even death couldn't silence such secrets, and as such- they were prepared to do whatever necessary to make sure that nobody would be able to take advantage of their knowledge about that particular subject.

Imagine the horrors if Zetsu or Madara got their hands on a time-travel seal.

All hell would break loose if that happened.

Naruto's thoughts continued to roll through his mind, so many things to think about that he felt a headache beginning to form. He grimaced, rubbed his temple and glanced to one of the windows.

From there he could see the large and vast forest. It was dark and somewhat eerie.

 _I hope Mina's alright_ , Naruto's stomach twisted in discomfort, justifiably worried.

No, he didn't have any fond memories of this damn place.

 

* * *

 

It was just past sundown when Naruto retired for the night. He was also part of the stationed guards in the tower and had just finished his shift for the day. The next one would be tomorrow at lunch so he could rest easy for the night. 

Naruto pulled off his gear, slipping a pair of kunai under his pillow and mattress and then entered the small bathroom for a quick shower.

Once done, he trudged out in a pair of boxers and a towel thrown over his head.

That was also how Minato found him.

The boy burst through the door, grinning from ear to ear and let out an extravagant; "Taadaa!!" but then he quickly turned around, his cheeks burning with embarrassment, "I'm so sorry!" he hurriedly said.   
_  
Why hadn't he knocked!?_

Naruto only stared at his back, hair dripping and skin glistening. "You're already here." he started slowly, mind processing it. Minato and his team couldn't have been in the forest for more than six hours. That was  _crazy_.  **Awesome**... but  _crazy_. "You realize you just decimated the record for the fastest completed survival test, ever, right?" his voice was coated in incredulous humor.

Minato turned back around, a hand over his eyes to keep some sort of dignity. It didn't actually work. "It didn't feel very fast. We just ran through."

Naruto snorted in disbelief, "That's the thing, Mina." he spoke mildly, "You're not supposed to be able to just 'run through.'"

"Is that a bad thing?" the genin's lips turned downwards, eyes still covered.

A fond smile stretched across the younger boys face. He stepped forward, gently wrapped his fingers around Minato's wrist and pulled his hand away. Their eyes locked with one another; one pair was a little surprised while the other was crinkled at the edges- the signs of a smile.

"It's not bad." he assured, "But you've been giving the proctors a lot of extra work."

"I have?" Minato asked quietly.

Naruto chuckled, letting go of the boy's wrist as he turned around and dried some of the water from his hair, "That little stunt you did with the paper in the first exam eliminated over half the genin teams. If less than three teams get to the tower- they're canceling the third stage of the exams. There's not enough genin to justify a large tournament in the arena if that's the case."

"Oh..." Minato swallowed, one of his arms moving to hug his stomach. It wasn't his intention to cause the village any trouble. Would they be angry with him? He wouldn't have done something like that if he'd known it would get such severe consequences. 

"It was an awesome idea, sticking it behind the painting like that." Minato's eyes widened while Naruto continued, still drying his hair, "You should have seen Ero-sennins face! He was laughing his ass off. It was hilarious!" he then tossed the towel onto one of the chairs in the room.

Naruto moved onto the bed, lifting the covers to crawl underneath it. It was pretty cold in the tower at night, but thankfully the covering was thick and warm.

Minato moved a little closer, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. "You're not angry with me?" he asked with some hesitance.

"Angry?" the chunin repeated incredulously, "Hardly. A lot of people were impressed that you found a loop-hole in the rules. You single-handedly removed over half your competition with that."

The older boy looked down at his hands, "Thanks."

Suddenly, a tanned hand took hold of his, forcing the boy to look at his best friend. "Mina, what's wrong?" Naruto asked as he was leaning forward. That wasn't the expression someone who'd just made history should have. 

"Nothing's wrong." Minato smiled tiredly, a little strained, "I'm just... I don't know. I didn't mean to cause trouble for the village." his gaze fell to his fingers once more. Or rather, their fingers.

Naruto raised his hand. The boy's breath hitched as it moved gently across his right cheek. "Don't be silly," Naruto said softly, Minato's heart steadily increased in speed, "You were great back there. And even the Hokage was impressed. It's their fault that they didn't think of all the variables and they also admitted that. You don't have to feel responsible for it. You didn't do anything wrong."

Some of the strange and cumbersome weight in Minato's stomach disappeared as he looked into his friend's beautiful blue eyes. It was so difficult to look away and not believe him when Naruto appeared so warm and caring. "Really?"

"Really."

With just a moments hesitance, Minato pushed off his shoes and crawled onto the bed. He laid down beside Naruto, on top of the covers but beside him none the less. "I'm tired," he said quietly.

Naruto smiled fondly, "Take a shower and then go to bed."

"My room is on the other side of the tower," the boy yawned, eyes drooping, "I'm just gonna rest my eyes for a bit before I go back."

"Baka, just shower and sleep here." Naruto laughed softly. "You still have three days before this part of the exam finishes. You can relax."

"You don't mind?" Minato whispered, eyes widening a little as his tiredness abruptly left him.

"Of course not. Get going, you can use one of my spare shirts."

Minato did. Twenty minutes later he crawled under the warm cover again and shivered like a frozen cat. He pulled the blanket over his chin and squeezed his eyes shut. It was cold.

A hand slipped past his waist, leaving goosebumps, and then pulled him close. Minato didn't resist. Instead, he allowed himself to be brought closer to Naruto's chest where it was warmer and softer.

He took a deep breath, the scent of nature and an open fire washing over him and wrapping him in cotton. How Naruto could smell like the embodiment of Konoha, he had no idea. But it never failed to soothe his senses and calm his mind.

Minato had missed this; Sleeping in his friend's arms. He'd come to realize that it wasn't exactly normal behavior for teammates, but he didn't care and neither did Naruto. He knew that because he'd overheard a conversation between his sensei and Naruto, where the boy stated that it felt nice and it was warm- so why not do it when they could? Nobody could stop them anyway. After that, the conversation was never brought up again, and it was treated with indifference.

It's was very typical for Naruto to make things uncomplicated.

But for Minato, he liked it because it made him feel safe and secure. The warmth was an added bonus but not the only reason. It was a little embarrassing, but he found that sleeping alone wasn't as satisfying anymore. When he did, his arms would naturally search for his friend, and when he didn't find him, he'd wake up in an alarmed start.

Minato nuzzled his head into the side of Naruto's neck, closing his eyes and sighing in contentment. He loved this. 

Suddenly, a pair of fingers trailed down his spine, and his heart jumped. They left goose bumps behind due to the feathery touch. His eyes fluttered open, half-lidded and too close to his friend's neck to be able to see anything aside from that. The fingers moved up, and then down again.

Minato's cheeks prickled with  _something_  and had to fight the urge to scratch them, but he managed. Instead, he closed his eyes again, allowing Naruto to gently caress his back in a slow and assuasive manner.

Naruto would do that sometimes; caress his back so Minato could fall asleep easier. Naruto had found that when Minato was physically exhausted, he took longer to fall asleep. As if though his body couldn't fully relax unless something reminded it that it could. Stroking his back solved that problem. Nowadays it was becoming a habit as well.

Minato fell asleep within moments, and Naruto gently patted his head, whispering a soft 'Goodnight, Mina' and allowed the darkness of night to consume his thoughts as well.

 

* * *

 

Minato woke up the following morning with the calm beating of a heart playing in his ear. He hummed quietly, contently, stretching his left arm and then curled it around the warm form of his best friend. Naruto didn't move, most likely still asleep.

Too comfortable to move, the boy curled one of his fingers and gently trailed it over the tanned skin underneath his hand. It was soft, like a mix between silk and velvet.

It wasn't fair, Minato absently mused. Naruto's skin was unblemished and without a single scar. His Kekkei Genkai really was amazing. It made him a little jealous, but then again, he had nothing against scars. If he did, then it was safe to say that he was in the wrong profession.

Naruto woke up to the feeling of a finger moving over his chest, drawing circles and patterns. Something that had a striking resemblance to the Uzumaki Clan crest.

Apparently, Minato was awake.

For that reason, Naruto moved one of his arms around the boy, flipped them over and then buried his face in his stomach. All in the matter of a blink of an eye.

The older boy gasped, too surprised to say anything mildly coherent until he stared down at the boy who made a show of nuzzling into his stomach.

Surprise turned to a fond smile and then to a chuckle and a full-blown laugh.

"Aaah..." Naruto drawled tiredly, "My pillow can talk."

"Does that mean my blanket can talk?" Minato grinned mischievously.

"Touché."

Minato poked the boy's head gently, "Good morning, blanket-san."

"'Morning pillow-san." Naruto pried his eyes open, looked up and mirrored the smile the blond boy gave him. "Slept alright?"

"Un, I was drained after the exams." He admitted sheepishly.

"Understandable. You always have to keep your focus. It takes a lot out of you." The chunin agreed. "You're going to have a large advantage over the other teams when they arrive. Being well rested and fed and all that stuff."

"So, no training?" another small smile tugged at his lips.

"No training" Naruto confirmed. "If you want to train you'll have to stick to books. And I can't help you unless you want to get disqualified and me a slap on my wrists."  
  
A tiny grimace formed on Minato's face and he nodded, "No asking for help. Got it."  
  
"Did you bring your books with you?" Naruto crawled up a little on the bed, placing his head on the pillow beside Minato's.   
  
Said boy fluttered his eyelashes innocently.  
  
The chunin snorted and rolled his eyes, "Of course you did."


	35. You've been played, little kit.

It was...  _awkward_ , standing next to a single team from Ame. Judging by their appearance, they barely just made it to the tower in time. They were filthy, covered in dirt along with smaller cuts and bruises.

Minato heard one of their stomachs rumble, and then he sheepishly scratched his chin while turning his attention back to the Hokage and his guards.

At seeing the faintly amused expression on the man's face, the boy blushed and let his gaze fall to his feet.

_Aaah, I've messed up..._

But he hadn't. Nobody said it aloud, but everyone thought the quick and clever actions of the blond boy was excellent, and because of that, he'd already earned his promotion. The only thing missing was the official documentation and telling the boy of the result.

However, as the Hokage was feeling a tad bit miffed at having to cancel the arena tournament, he decided to let the boy sweat a bit and kept it a secret.

"This is rather unusual," the Hokage spoke as he stood in front of the two teams. His eyes kind but firm, "In just two parts of the exam, thirty-nine of the original forty-one teams have been eliminated."

Minato looked up at the ceiling, finding it oddly interesting all of a sudden. If it weren't rude to do so- then he probably would have started to whistle.

The corner of the Hokage's lips twitched, "You six are the only ones left. It was our original intent to make you face off in hand to hand combat in the arena for your final test... but that's hardly needed anymore."  _And it's way cheaper this way._

"As such, you will do that here, right now."

The genin from the Ame team blanched. One of them rose a shaking hand, "H-Hokage-sama... there won't be any time for us to rest?" He asked.

The older man shook his head, "I'm afraid not, young one. This is usually where we hold the preliminary matches to see who'll fight in the arena. We're just using the prelims as the final test. But I want to empathize; you do not have to win to become a chunin. Being a chunin is about more than just winning battles and completing missions." He said, "You have the chance to forfeit should you choose to do so. However, with just the six of you here, you'll never get a more opportune moment to show us what you can do. Take a moment to consider and then let us begin."

In the end, the Ame team remained. It was true that they wouldn't get a better chance than this. It would be foolish to quit when they were so close to their goals. They didn't work this hard to stop right before the finish line.  
  
As such, the finals began.   


* * *

  
  
  
Naruto was sitting next to Jiraiya, the two them were waiting for Minato to exit the Hokage's office. They both knew he'd passed the exam and earned his promotion, but a sliver of fear had rooted itself inside of them. From this moment on, everything would be different.   
  
It was the moment Minato made chunin that the war by the borders escalated and forced all children, chunin and genin alike, to march towards the front lines and many towards their deaths.  
  
They had done what they could. Prepared them as well as possible- but some things happened no matter how hard they tried to prevent it.   
  
Jiraiya knew that if Minato stayed close to Naruto, then his chances of survival would skyrocket. But it didn't ease the worry altogether. Unlike Naruto, one severe wound would be enough to claim Minato's life. The boy also lacked one of his signature techniques; the Hiraishin. It was still too early for him to discover it- but it was something that Jiraiya wanted him to do as soon as possible. Knowing that Minato knew the Hiraishin would be a comfort.   
  
The Sannin glanced to his adoptive son. The blond boy appeared troubled. He was aware that Naruto flipped back and forth between his past lives, one day feeling like an old and worn Kage- while on other days he felt like a young boy who enjoyed life for the first time.   
  
Minato, Jiraiya noticed, was like Naruto's medicine. It kept him grounded and happy. Reminding him why he fought so hard and why he kept so many secrets.   
  
But he'd noticed something else too. Naruto's attachment to his new friend was unusual. Especially for someone who'd never been a man to seek physical contact with anyone before. Jiraiya would be a liar if he said he wasn't worried about his new son. He was, very much so. But when he thought about it; how long could a human being live without physical contact? If you added Naruto's whopping fifty years and then the additional few years of his second life- Naruto had over five decades without anyone to embrace. But now that he had... Jiraiya couldn't help but smile a little. Naruto was incapable of letting Minato go.   
  
A man Naruto may be in his mind, but he had a soul that longed to be loved. The only logical reason for their physical attachment was that they needed it. Jiraiya knew that Naruto was aware how questionable it all was. Especially if his real age came to the surface- but it hurt him too much to step away. Naruto's soul was already wounded, and Jiraiya would be the last person in the world to deny him his peace.  
  
Could he not have this? Was it too much to ask to hold someone's hand and sleep in another's arms? Did he not deserved that comfort? If anyone deserved peace and comfort, Naruto did.  
  
On a lighter note; Jiraiya observed Minato with nothing short of fondness and fascination. The boy was a lot like he remembered, but in a way, he was also different. Minato was growing stronger a lot fast this time around. But his attention wasn't on the oval office in the Hokage tower, but at his best friend. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Minato still wanted to be Hokage, but it wasn't as pressing a dream as it was to catch up to Naruto.   
  
And knowing Minato, it was only a matter of time before he realised that there was a lot more to his attachment to Naruto than a mere friendship in the brew. Because the way Minato looked at Naruto was the same way he used to look at Kushina.   
  
Now, any other time, that might have worried Jiraiya. But the truth was, he was rather curious how it would all play out. The two boys were obviously good for each other, and he doubted that they would willingly let each other go regardless. He suspected that Minato would realize it first. For all Naruto's genius and battle prowess, he wasn't that sharp in the relationship department. The fact that he didn't know that Hinata loved him since their Academy days were proof enough. But that also brought up the problem of Naruto and his constant worrying. Knowing him, he'd find excuses and reasons to isolate himself if he ever realized he cared about Minato a little more than usual.   
  
But then again... Minato wasn't anything short of stubborn. And if Minato grew to love Naruto to the extent that Jiraiya suspected he might, then nothing would stop him.   
  
For what it was worth; all Jiraiya wanted was to see them smile and grow old. They deserved as much.   
  
At that moment Naruto stood up, noticing the door to the Hokage's office opening. A blond boy walked out, a disbelieving look on his face as he carried a green flak vest in his hands. The door closed behind him, and he was left standing with the chunin vest in his hands.   
  
"I did it," he whispered, not certain if he was dreaming. "I'm a chunin."   
  
"Of course you are." Naruto gave him a peace-sign from across the corridor. Minato's eyes locked to his smiling friend's. "I never had any doubts."  
  
Minato's world seized to move for a single second, and then his heart soared, and he launched himself forward, throwing his arms around the blond boy who barely had the mind to channel chakra to his feet unless he wanted to fall over. "I did it!" Minato exclaimed. His happiness was practically tangible. "I did it! I'm a chunin!" Naruto softly chuckled.   
  
"Congratulation Minato." Jiraiya placed a hand on his head, watching the tear-filled eyes of the boy who's smile melted his heart. "I knew you could do it."  
  
"I couldn't have done it without you." He spoke to nobody in particular as Naruto and Jiraiya had both played equal parts in his progress. "Thank you!"  
  
"Anytime kid." Jiraiya chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair, "We're going to a restaurant later with Orochi-teme and Hime to celebrate. I've got to finish my rounds before then so I've got to go." He then looked to Naruto, "Are you giving it to him now or later?"  
  
"Now," Naruto confirmed, smiling in amusement at the confusion that flickered over Minato's face. "Best to do it when nobody can see us."  
  
"Probably." The man agreed and then smiled down at Minato again, "You've done well Minato. I'm proud of you."  
  
A faint hue of pink dusted his cheeks, and a bright and beautiful smile pulled at his lips, "Thank you sensei." Minato had never felt so happy before.   
  
"I'll catch you two later," Jiraiya began to walk away, smiling and waving his hand, "Don't do anything that'll lead back to me!"  
  
"I'll make sure to write down your name when we're done!" Naruto called back, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Jiraiya rounded the corner but shouted back, "Don't forget all my awesome titles!"  
  
The time-traveler snorted in amusement, his eyes shimmering with mirth, "Dumbass." But it was entirely fond. His mind left that train of thought when he felt a hand slip into his.   
  
Minato smiled at him, warmth radiation from him as if though he was the son of the sun itself. "What now?" he asked.   
  
Naruto hummed, and then eyed the green chunin vest in the boy's other hand. "Put it on for me?"  
  
Minato didn't have to be asked twice. He happily pulled the vest on, zipping it up and grinned happily. "It's a bit strange, but I think I'll get used to it."  
  
"I looked like an idiot when I got mine." Naruto spoke mildly, "They didn't have my size, so I had to get a custom made one. At least you don't look like you're carrying a tent around."  
  
The boy laughed, trying to imagine Naruto in a chunin vest that was much too large for him. The images he came up with was far too amusing, and he wouldn't have minded if there was a picture of it.   
  
"Come on," Naruto pulled the boy down the corridor, "I have something for you."  
  
"A present?" Minato couldn't quite hide the excitement in his voice. He had yet to give Naruto a gift since it wasn't his birthday yet, but receiving them was just a good- if not better. And Naruto always gave the best gifts.   
  
"A present." He confirmed. "But it's a special one, so we have to do it somewhere people can't see us."  
  
Anticipation and a healthy about of nervousness bubbled inside of his stomach, his mind coming up with ideas and discarding them just as quickly. What could it possibly be if nobody else was allowed to see?  
  
Naruto held his friend's hand with one of his, the other was firmly in his pocket, holding the gift he'd contemplated giving Minato for a long time now. It was one of his most precious possessions and arguably one of the most valuable he possessed.   
  
It would protect him, and serve him well.   
  
Naruto said nothing as he guided Minato through the village and towards an empty training ground. Once they reached a large open field, Naruto stopped and turned around, releasing Minato from his hold.   
  
"Okay, so, I've been thinking a lot lately." Naruto began to pace back and forth in front of Minato, much to the laters mild amusement, "And I wanted to give you something when you made chunin. You know, to make it memorable and all that stuff. But I couldn't think of something cool to give you, but then I remember something I've had for a long time but that I don't actually use. Or need, well, I do now if I'm going to give it to you. But if I give it to you, you have to take care of it, okay? It's super rare and really special. It means a lot to me and stuff." He continued to ramble, not noticing the soft smile on Minato's lips, "I didn't know if it would fit you, but then again, you've been around me a lot lately, so something's bound to have rubbed off, ya'know?" He stopped to stare at Minato, expecting him to understand exactly what he was on about.   
  
"Right," Minato replied sagely. Frankly, he had no idea what Naruto was talking about. But it was best to just agree.  
  
Naruto beamed, "Great! It felt like I began to ramble there for a moment. Good thing you caught all of that."  
  
Not that Minato would ever admit that he absolutely didn't- so he just nodded.   
  
The boy took a deep breath, reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange and black scroll. The lining was gold, and the darker orange pattern on the scroll looked like fire.   
  
The scroll was beautiful, and Minato had no idea what it was.   
  
"What is it?" he asked quietly, eyes glued to the object in front of him.  
  
"This," Naruto held up the scroll, "Is a summoning contract."  
  
Excitement bubbled inside of him as he watched Minato's face slowly morphed into comprehension. "You're giving me a summoning contract?"  
  
"I've had this for a long time." Naruto smiled at the scroll sadly. Wistful and fondly at the same time, "It means a lot to me... but I already have a summoning contract with the Toads on Mount Myoboku." He then looked up at the speechless and disbelieving face of his friend, "I want you to have it."  
  
Minato watched him reach the scroll towards him, waiting patiently for him to take it. "What?" But he took the scroll all the same. He held it as if though it would break in his hands if he applied too much pressure.   
  
"Take care of it for me, alright?" Naruto smiled sadly, "I can't think of anyone better suited for it." And truly he couldn't.   
  
"But why?" Minato couldn't help but ask. It was evident to anyone how precious the scroll was to him. Why would he give it to him?  
  
"Does it matter?" Naruto countered gently, "I want you to have it. I don't have a lot of things I can call my own, but this is one of them. There has never been a summoner for this particular contract. Not ever. They made themselves known to me a long time ago- saying that they wanted to pledge their service to me if I was willing. But I already had a contract to the Toads, and I'm attached to them. So I said that I would protect the contract and pass it on if I ever found someone that I deemed worthy." He then smiled at his friend whose eyes were brimming with tears, "And you are."  
  
"I don't know what to say," Minato spoke, his voice thick with emotion as a pair of tears rolled down his cheeks. Nobody had ever given him something so precious before. Was it possible to burst from happiness?  
  
Naruto raised his hands, placed them on Minato's cheeks and brushed his tears away, "Just promise me you'll take care of it."  
  
"I promise." He vowed, closing his eyes as he took a step forward and placed his forehead on Naruto's shoulder, "I promise!"  
  
"That's all I ask." The boy patted his head gently. But then he chuckled, "Don't you want to know what summon it is? You could be crying over a Worm contract for all you know." He teased.  
  
"Then it'd be the best Worm summoners ever!" Minato said fiercely.   
  
Well, at least he was spirited, Naruto thought mildly.   
  
"There's no way I'd give you something as pathetic as that." He smirked, "This contract," He held it up, "Will summon Foxes." The boy's smirk took a rather feral appearance. Very similar to that of a fox.  
  
"Foxes?" Minato breathed, eyes widening, "I'll summon Foxes?"  
  
"It's way cooler than Toads... just, don't tell 'em I said that. I'll never hear the end of it."   
  
"How do I do it?!" The boy lit up like a Christmas tree. Practically bouncing on his feet.   
  
Naruto sat down on the ground, crossing his legs as he patted the seat in front of him. Minato was sitting in front of him before he even had the chance to see him move. His eyes were  **sparkling.**    
  
"Alright. Open it up."  
  
Minato did, barely able to contain his excitement as Kurama opened one of his eyes and peeked at the scene from within Naruto. A small smile tugged at his long row of teeth, but nobody could prove anything.   
  
Once the scroll was unraveled and laid out between them, Naruto continued to explain, "What you want to do now is to bite your finger and write your name in your blood. It will seal the contract and bind you to the Foxes. After that, you're going to be able to summon them. You'll have to put your handprint on it as well, so make sure you coat your fingertips after you're done writing your name."  
  
He didn't need to be asked twice. Minato bit his finger, drawing blood. It was with practiced ease and precision that he wrote his name on the white and unblemished paper. After he was done, he coated his fingertips and pressed his hand to the right side of his name- finalizing the signing.   
  
"Perfect." Naruto nodded approvingly. "Alright. To summon, you need to know the right hand-signs. I'll go through them so try to memorize them. Start with Boar-Dog-Bird-Monkey and then finish with Ram. Then slam your hand to the ground. Got it?"  
  
Minato nodded, "Got it."  
  
"Don't worry if you don't get it on your first try. I summoned a Tadpole on mine."  
  
But, as Naruto should have expected by now, Minato was a natural at practically everything.   
  
As such, he went through the correct sequence, gathering as much chakra as he could and called out, "Summoning Jutsu!"  
  
The field was lit up with chakra smoke, startling Naruto who reeled back in surprise.   
  
**"What is this?"**  A large, unfamiliar and distinctively  _animal_  voice spoke. But it sounded like it belonged to a male. But you couldn't be sure about these things, and one wasn't stupid enough to walk under the Fox to check. Because that was just rude.  
  
Minato stared, eye's bordering on rolling out of his head as the chakra smoke began to clear from the giant fox that was the size of a five-story house.   
  
**"Ah, Naruto-sama, is it?"**  The Fox lowered its massive head. The giant creature had a deep golden colored coat with black ears and a white belly. The tip of its tail was also black. A very typical coat for a Fox. Aside from the yellow color, that is.   
  
"Hiya, Satoru-sama!" Naruto grinned stiffly because, of course, Minato would manage to summon the damn Fox Boss right off the bat. That didn't tick him off  _at all_. "It's been a long time."  
  
**"Indeed it has. And it would appear as if though you have a great tale to tell us."**  Because the last time Satoru saw Naruto, he was over thirty years old. Needless to say, something had definitely happened since last time if his height was anything to go by.   
  
"I do. But that'll have to wait. There's someone I want you to meet." Naruto turned to the side, smiled at his gobsmacked friend and gestured towards him, "I kept my promise. Even if it took a long time to do so."  
  
**"This is who you've chosen?"**  Satoru inquired, towering over Minato who had to use all the willpower he had not to back away. Because,  _holy shit_ , that Fox was  **HUGE!**

 **"What is your name, little kit?"**  He sniffed the blond boy a couple of times, almost forcing him to lift off of the ground. 

"N-Namikaze Minato." Minato pressed out, heart thundering and, oddly enough, he felt a little faint all of a sudden. Was that normal?  
  
**"Hooh?"**  Satoru then began to yip,  **"How interesting. I approve, Naruto-sama. You've brought us a strong one."**  Satoru wasn't going to decline an offer to have the Yondaime Hokage as his summoner. Although, judging by the silent warning in Naruto's eyes, he couldn't say that aloud. Yes, it would seem that Naruto had quite a tale to tell. Certainly one worthy of hearing over a round of catnip.   
  
Naruto truly was a Fox of his own making. Pity, that they couldn't have him as a summoner, but they had the next best thing inside of him. One could not have it all, after all.   
  
**"I am Satoru. The leader of the Foxes of the Zao forest. It would seem that you and I will see much more of each other, little kit."**  
  
Minato swallowed, nervous beyond hell and back, "It's a pleasure to meet you Satoru-sama." He bowed deeply. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. Ah... the world was spinning a little. That couldn't be right.  
  
**"Call me Satoru. We are partners now. Equals."**  The Fox's long row of teeth bared itself in a foxy grin,  **"Tell me, little kit, have you heard of the catnip stash in the Fire Daimyo's forest?"**  
  
Naruto sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and silently cursed. He was surrounded by bastards and sneaky little shits. He honestly had no idea what the hell he had expected from Foxes in the first place.  
  
"I haven't." Minato straightened his back, a questioning look on innocent his face.   
  
**"I have a condition to our contract, little kit. If you want to summon me again, you will have to prove your loyalty to my clan and me. Go to the Fire Daimyo's forest, collect the catnip and give it to me. If you do, you have my permission to summon me at any given time. Should you fail, you will have to find another Summoning Contract to use."**  
  
"A trial?" That was the same thing Naruto talked about with the Toads. When he had to sit on top of its head for a whole day without falling off. Maybe all of them had trials?  
  
In reality, Satoru's stash was just running low.   
  
But he was a fox, and not below underhanded means of getting what he wanted. It sure helped that little Minato was naive as they came. An innocent little kit. He already liked him.   
  
**"A trial,"**  Satoru confirmed, the grin stretching wider as he yipped.   
  
"I'll get you the catnip, Satoru-san. I promise." Minato vowed with a determination that made the giant creature was to coo and tickle his belly until he gurgled with laughter. What a cute little kit.   
  
**"I look forward to it, little kit."** And boy did he. The Fire Daimyo's wife's cat had the biggest and purest stash in the whole country. The cat was  _lit_ twenty-four-seven.   
  
Satoru could use some of that himself.   
  
With those parting words, Saturo dispelled himself, and the training field erupted in a thick cloud of chakra smoke.   
  
Once the smoke was gone, Minato's smile turned sheepish as he looked to his best friend.   
  
"Where exactly is the Fire Daimyo's forest?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Satoru is my spirit animal *nods sagely*


	36. A Song of Ice and Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get really annoyed when I finish reading a chapter, and it stops with a cliffhanger. How can anyone do something horrible like that? Hate those kinds of authors. Bastards.
> 
> *Sips on tea*

Minato was on a mission. It was a mission of the highest importance. A mission he could not afford to fail at any cost.

The boy stopped outside a jewelry shop and peered through the window.

It was a mission to find the best birthday gift in the world! To whom one might ask? Who else but Naruto.

Minato stepped through the door to the store, it was the fifth jewelry shop he'd stopped by, and he'd be damned if he didn't find the perfect gift in this one!

The boy ignored the man behind the counter and moved towards the encased glass boxes lining the sides of the store.

There was everything imaginable up for purchase. Rings for engagements, necklaces, hairpins, bracelets, fancy buttons, earrings, ankle bracelets and even toe rings.

But Minato was looking for something specific. Something that Naruto could wear just like Minato wore his golden necklace. He knew that Naruto didn't have a necklace, but that he preferred not to either. It got in the way, and since his hair was growing longer, it tangled uncomfortably.

That left a couple of things; a bracelet, earrings, hairpins, rings and fancy dress buttons.

The later he would have no use for, so that was out of the question. Ankle bracelets and toe rings were just weird. A bracelet would get in the way and so would rings for your fingers. Being a shinobi meant being practical. Most jewelry wasn't, unfortunately,

Still, that left him with hairpins and earrings. Which was what he was looking for.

It was unusual for guys to wear earrings, but Minato found that Naruto looked amazing with it. The Uzumaki crest earring he wore was very pretty, and the orange stone suited him.

That left Minato a little hesitant. Did he buy another set of earrings when Naruto already had one he loved, or did he focus on hairpins since Naruto hair was growing longer and longer? It was already touching his shoulders, and his side bang draped over half of his face unless he pushed it a little to the side- which he often did.

The Chunin sighed, leaned onto the glass box and allowed his blue eyes to lazily move over the sparkling jewelry before him. There was just too much to pick from and nothing that caught his attention. How was he supposed to buy something for Naruto when everything he laid eyes upon felt like it fell short of him?

Naruto was special to him, so naturally, he deserved something equally unique as a gift. He'd saved all his earnings and had a rather impressive budget for Naruto's present. As such, for once in his life, Minato didn't have to watch the price tags and could allow himself the luxury of buying what he thought suited his friend rather than what he could afford.

He pushed away from the glass box and continued to the next one, and then the next one and the next one.

Just as he was about to accept defeat once more, something caught his attention, and he stilled. Eyes going a little wider as he looked at the silver and gold that sparkled underneath the artificial light.

In front of him were small, shorter than an inch long,  _pipes_. No, perhaps ear cuffs were more accurate. But then again, it wasn't really eared cuffs either even if it looked like it.

It was hair beads.

There were beads in gold, silver, even some made from various colored crystals- but the one that caught the boy's attention was a silver colored bead.

It was half an inch long, silver and had several small blue gemstones embedded in the expensive metal. The design of the silver bead was intricate and beautiful- almost magical to the eye.

It was unlike anything Minato had ever seen before. Frankly, he'd never seen anyone wear a hair bead before. The only shinobi he knew that wore jewelry were the Uzumaki in Uzushio. And Naruto, of course.

A smile spread across his lips as he imagined the bead in his friend hair. It would help to keep his bangs to the side of his face, and he wouldn't need to continually push it to the side.

It was perfect.  _More_  than perfect.

 

* * *

 

It was with nervous anticipation and trepidation that Minato sat in front of Naruto, the two were sitting on the laters bed almost a week later.

It was the tenth of October and Naruto's eleventh birthday. Two days before they were set to leave on a mission to the borders of Kumo.

Naruto was unwrapping the small gift, making sure not to rip it open and drop it in the process. He had a habit of doing clumsy things like that.

Once the paper was gone, the boy curiously watched the black box in his hands. The sudden urge to shake it spiked, but he refrained. It would have looked insensitive and childish. Although he  _did_  want to.

Gently, carefully, Naruto pried the small box open and eyed its content.

At first, Naruto didn't know what it was. But then a distant memory flickered through his mind of the future Daimyo of Kiri. That man had worn several. Hair beads. 

"Mina..." He turned the beautiful piece of hair accessory around, watching the blue stones sparkle in the late afternoon sun that shone through his bedroom window. "It's beautiful." And it was. Very much so.

Minato felt his cheeks tingle comfortably, and then he smiled softly, "I thought about you when I saw it." He explained, "Here,"

Naruto saw his friend hold his hand out, so he handed it over. The older boy moved a little closer, and then a little bit more when he realized he wouldn't reach from so far away.

The boy settled on his knees, his fingers moving up to Naruto's side bang. Said boy watched him as he began to braid a small section of his hair.

It was strangely intimate, Naruto thought absently, warmth was pooling in his gut as Minato scooted a little closer yet again. His brows furrowed a little in concentration, causing a small tug to appear at the corner of Naruto's lips.

Minato was cute when he concentrated especially hard on something. It was just a bonus that the subject of that was himself.

A little hesitant, but unable to stop himself, Naruto lifted his hand and placed it on Minato's knee. A gesture that was meant to be a show of gratitude and fondness. But Minato's gaze flickered to the hand, cheeks turning hot as his fingers slowed down until they moved like slugs. It was strangely distracting...

By some miracle, he managed to finish the braid he'd set out to do. He positioned the bead between his fingers, stealing a glance of his friend at the same time.

That was a bad idea because Naruto was looking straight at him, a gentle smile on his face.

If at all possible, Minato's blush increased in intensity, and he swallowed thickly. Yet it didn't stop him as he carefully threaded the bead onto the golden blond hair. Once it was in place, he pressed it together and heard a satisfying 'click.' After that, he began to run his fingers through the braid he'd done to easier put it on.

It only took a couple of minutes, but to the both of them, it almost felt like an eternity.

When Minato was done, he moved back to his original position on the bed and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

Naruto looked just as amazing as he'd imagined that he would. If not more so. A storm of butterflies danced inside of Minato's chest, and it took everything he had not to stutter when Naruto spoke,

"I love it. Thank you,"

"Your welcome." His blue eyes sought out his friends involuntary, "Happy Birthday," He said quietly, softly.

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek, "Can I ask for something else too?" Maybe it was inappropriate or bold... but he couldn't help himself.

"What?" Minato asked, ready to offer anything he could. Even his limbs if Naruto asked him to.

Instead of replying, Naruto slowly held out his arms and smiled hesitantly.

The newly minted chunin felt something inside of him fall into place at that moment. It was warm, and it made him feel good-  _better_ than ever before. Which was why Minato crawled towards his friend, raised his arms and embraced the boy that made his heart flutter and sing. His eyes closed, savoring the warm and comfortable hug while at the same time allowing Naruto's presence to wash over him and coat him like a warm blanket.

At that moment, Minato realized that there was nowhere else in the world that he would have rather been.  _Nowhere_. He never wanted to part be away from Naruto.

Meanwhile, Naruto held Minato in his arms, tears prickling at the edge of his vision and in the corners of his eyes. It felt so strange, so overwhelming, to be gifted something for the simple reason that it reminded Minato of him and because he  _wanted_  to. Why did that make him so happy? So happy it made him want to cry? Minato was just great, the best and he-

"I love you, Mina," Naruto whispered before his brain caught up with his mouth. His eyes widened to impossible levels, realizing he'd just said it aloud. But when he tried to open his mouth to quickly take it back, to say that he'd not been thinking- Naruto found that he couldn't utter a word.

Minato's eyes snapped open, lips parted in shock as his heart was beating painfully behind his ribcage.

Did... did Naruto just-?

If at all possible, Minato hugged him even harder, burying his face at the side of his neck while barely withholding tears. Why he had no idea. But something inside of him felt ready to burst.

"I love you too Naru,"

There could have been many reactions to his accidental slip up, but that wasn't one that Naruto had even considered. It wasn't a lie, what he'd said, he  _did_  love Minato. He was irreplaceable and precious. His best friend.

Naruto didn't allow himself to further explore those thoughts as he savored the warmth and love he could feel radiating from Minato and seeping into his very pores.

It was sad, how foreign true happiness felt. 

 

* * *

 

Naruto touched the silver bead yet again, the wind causing his hair to dance in the wind.

He jumped from another branch, three other chakra signatures surrounding him as his team headed for the coastal border of Kumo where Nawaki would meet his maker. Well, at least he did the first time around. Naruto wouldn't let it happen again. Not if he had anything to say about it.

Behind him was Minato, watching his back and the rear like a constant and watchful shadow. To his side was Senju Nawaki. A boy a couple of years older than himself, and with dark blond hair and a smile that reminded himself so much of his younger self that he felt sick whenever he saw it. Nawaki had no idea what was coming. That this was the final mission, he would have ever gone on.

In the front was another chunin. His name was Hitsugama Ran. Ran was a chunin senior, a man in his late twenties that'd been stuck and lost in the Chunin roulette. A no-name chunin. But as the older chunin of the team, he was in charge- much to Naruto's chagrin.

The reason for that was simple; Ran was a bitter man. He didn't want to be a chunin any longer, and his constant irritation and frustration over his situation were directed onto everyone else. Namely them. But what worried Naruto was the man's ability to make the correct calls when his attitude was so negative.

Especially towards the three of them as they'd made chunin and hadn't even reached their teens yet. People like them weren't going to stick around that rank for long, and Ran knew that just as everyone else did.

Jiraiya sent him on this mission with the trust and belief that he'd save Nawaki's life. A mission Naruto didn't take lightly.

He couldn't return with a dead Nawaki in his arms. He'd never be able to face the whole of the Sannin if he failed here. Especially Tsunade since Nawaki was her little brother. The memory of how utterly destroyed she'd become was enough of a drive to succeed. Besides, Naruto liked Nawaki. He was kind, optimistic and a bit of a knucklehead, but he was so alive and bright that his stomach twisted at the thought of failing him.

The consequences were just too severe and dark to think about.

No, Naruto refused to fail.

"We're approaching our destination." Ran stated, a sliver of irritation in his voice at being stuck with a bunch of brats, "Shut up and keep your eyes open."

Naruto scowled, a growl almost escaping him. It was just his luck to be stuck with a right bastard on a mission like this. He didn't have the time nor the patience for such petty bullshit. But he couldn't say anything if he wanted to keep this as clean as possible.  
  
This mission wasn't about him, but Nawaki. This was all for Tsunade's little brother.   
  
The disguised Kage surveyed their surroundings. Quickly noticing that the place was  **littered**  with traps. "This whole place is rigged to kingdom-come." He muttered, earning a scowl from Ran, but the man said nothing.   
  
Naruto knew for a fact that there wasn't anyone around for a least a couple of miles. Talking wouldn't matter. "We're removing the traps." Ran finally decided.   
  
At the very least, that was a sound idea. Even if people knew the traps existed, it was bound to catch someone off-guard.   
  
"We're splitting up, two on two. Namikaze, Senju- you go to the east. Uzumaki and I will head north."  
  
Ran took off, Nawaki quickly following. But just before Minato leaped away, Naruto took hold of his wrist. "Mina," He said seriously as the boy stopped and turned to his friend, "This place is littered with traps.  _Everywhere_. Under the ground and in the trees. Nawaki isn't a sensor, and his environmental awareness isn't as good as yours. You need to keep him on a leash, or he'll get himself killed."   
  
Minato nodded firmly, "I will."  
  
With that, the boy disappeared.   
  
Naruto felt a horrible sense of foreboding, but orders were orders, and he had traps to disable. If he could do it quickly, then he would be able to catch up to the other two before anything happened. 

* * *

  
  
  
Jiraiya was restless. Scared, even. He didn't like it, not one bit. Deep down he knew that Naruto would pull through- he always did. But this was Nawaki and Tsunade. This was where everything started to go wrong for the Sannin. If he didn't save him then he'd tear himself up over it- he just knew.   
  
But that wasn't everything the Sannin had on his mind. No, far from it. He knew for a fact that the coastal borders by Kumo were deserted because of the environment. The place was covered with enough booby-traps to scare anyone away. Kumo didn't venture into that area and now that he'd researched it a lot more- he knew that something was wrong with this mission.   
  
First of all, the origin of it was sketchy. Doubtful at best. When someone filed for a mission to be carried out, there was always a number of instances the mission had to pass through before it would hit the Hokage's desk or the mission office. This was also a B-ranked mission, and those didn't require the Hokage's explicit attention. No, those missions would go through the normal pathways before they found themselves on the missions shelf.   
  
Which was also why it was so strange. The mission his adoptive son had undertaken was missing its origin. It didn't say who'd issued it. That was the first warning signal that went off in his mind. Something was up, and Jiraiya wasn't going to let it go until he knew what it was.   
  
So, naturally, that night the white-haired Sannin snuck out of his property and towards the Mission Office where the village's archives existed.   
  
Everything was going well, and nobody had spotted him. Until, of course, someone did.   
  
"What are you sneaking around for?" Someone drawled. A very familiar someone.   
  
Jiraiya inwardly cursed colorfully, before he turned his head to look behind his shoulder and into the pale face of his teammate. "Orochi-teme." He allowed himself to acknowledge. "What brings you here?"  
  
"Cut the crap, Jiraiya. Why are you sneaking around at this hour?" The snake Sannin asked, although the lack of accusation left Jiraiya puzzled.  
  
Not certain of what to say just yet, Jiraiya turned back to the door that he'd been in the middle of lock-picking. Could he tell Orochimaru what was going on? Or should he make up some pathetic lie like he'd usually do in a situation like this?  
  
He sighed quietly to himself, "Something about the mission the kids went on doesn't sit right with me. Perhaps I'm paranoid, but I'd rather face the consequences of being wrong than right."  
  
"You'll have to be more specific than that." Orochimaru crossed his arms, seemingly unimpressed. "What did you discover?"  
  
"The mission origin was never stated." Jiraiya glanced at his friend and then back to the lock that popped open, "I don't know about you, but that shouldn't happen on a simple B-rank. It's not something you miss."  
  
Orochimaru frowned. Jiraiya wasn't wrong. That didn't sound right, not even to his own ears.   
  
Just as the white-haired man was about to take a step into the archives, Orochimaru took hold of his shoulder. With a retort on his tongue, Jiraiya turned around and glared- only to see the man pointing towards a simple tripwire at the bottom of the door.   
  
"I saw that." He sniffed, offended.  
  
"No," Orochimaru stated mildly, "You didn't."  
  
Damnit, why did he had to rub it in?!  
  
"If you're going to break in somewhere, at least try not to get caught." He accused, albeit with not a small amount of humor. "The B-ranks are this way." He stated and entered the room- Jiraiya, in turn, followed close behind and absently wondering if he had had a little too much to drink that night. Because he was certain, he'd just seen Orochimaru help him break in somewhere. Willingly.  
  
"Why are you helping me?" The man asked suspiciously, eyes squinted.   
  
Orochimaru pulled out one of the file cabinets and started flipping through the many documents expertly. "Because you're right. It's suspicious. And I happen to like Naruto."  
  
Jiraiya snorted loudly, not believing a word he'd said. But at the flat look he received, he swallowed the laughter that'd bubbled up inside of him. "Oh..." He said, "You're serious."  
  
"Does it look like I'm a person with humor?"  
  
"Actually, yeah. You do. But really creepy humor. Like, totally morbid." The man admitted with a stupid grin.   
  
Orochimaru rolled his eyes, he did not deign that worthy of a reply.   
  
Also... it's not like he was wrong. His humor was kind of... unique.  
  
"Here it is." He pulled up a recently filed document. Not wasting time, he flipped it open and promptly stared.   
  
The date was accurate, so was the names of the shinobi who'd taken the mission on. But that made it even more uncomfortable.   
  
Why? Nawaki was requested. But only him. The section of where the origin of the mission should be written was empty. The person who'd issued it was anonymous, and that was alarming. As a simple B-rank mission, the documents didn't have to go through the Hokage, or such a mission would never have been issued to his active shinobi. It was raising all kinds of red flags.   
  
But what made it even worse was what Jiraiya already knew.  
  
"Shit..." He whispered, his stomach twisting in disgust. "Crap, this is bad." He took the file from his friend, not seeing the confusion and alarm that flickered across his face. "Shit, I sent him into a lion's den."   
  
"Are you going to explain what's going on, or do I have to beat it out of you?" Orochimaru frowned. He didn't like not knowing what was happening. Especially if it had Jiraiya worried. That usually meant something bad for everyone involved.  
  
Jiraiya snapped out of his thoughts, made a split second decision he'd most likely come to regret and get skinned alive for, but he had no choice. He wouldn't be able to do this on his own anymore. Not this soon.   
  
"This," The man slapped the folder onto the cabinet, pointing towards a small black mark that would've been easily missed if one didn't know what to look for. "This is the mark of Root."  
  
"Root?"   
  
"It's an organization that Shimura Danzo is in charge of. He takes a lot more liberties than he's allowed and I know for a fact that he takes orphans and turns them into weapons. Shinobi without thought or feelings. Shit!" He hissed angrily. He couldn't believe he'd not made the connection sooner. Of course, that slimy bastard had his hands in the death of Tsunade's little brother. "You know how I said that my spy-network delivered some worrying intel about that coastal area? Yeah, that was complete bullshit. I just didn't want Nawaki to go alone because something felt iffy. We both know that Naruto can handle himself if shit hits the fan." He then shook his head, "This is going to get ugly."  
  
"Jiraiya," Orochimaru warned, not liking where the man was going with this, "Speak clearly."  
  
"Danzo meddles and toys with things he doesn't understand. He does it, and genuinely believes it's for the best of the village." His eyes turned fierce and angry. How could he not have predicted this? "He gets rid of people who stand in his way. We both know that Nawaki dreams about being Hokage, but Danzo wouldn't want that. He also doesn't want to wait to see if Nawaki awakens the Shodai's Kekkei Genkai. If he does, his claim to the title becomes plausible if he masters it. Sensei is a good man, but he listens to Koharu, Homura, and Danzo more than he should. Danzo would lose his influence if Nawaki did become the Hokage in the future."  
  
Orochimaru had met Danzo many times. And he had to admit, he didn't like him. He was secretive, and his motives always seemed to be less than honorable. But the amount of information that Jiraiya had on the man was suspicious as well. Yet, at least right now, he'd allow Jiraiya the benefit of the doubt about where he'd gotten that intel. He could find that out after they'd made sure Naruto was safe.  
  
And Nawaki and Minato too, of course...  
  
"So, what do you suggest we do?"  
  
"You'll help me? Wait, do you even believe me?" Jiraiya asked incredulously.   
  
Orochimaru felt a grimace form on his face, but he couldn't stop halfway, "You're many things, but a liar isn't one of them."  
  
Urgh, he was never complimenting someone again. Not ever.  
  
A stupid grin formed on the white-haired man's face and he beamed, "Then let's go hunt some chunin."

 

* * *

  
  
Naruto was about to stab a bitch. He'd been listening to Ran and his pathetic efforts to sound condescending and knowledgeable for hours. Sooner or later he'd put the man out of his damn misery.   
  
"-pay attention!"  
  
"I'm finished. I'm going to Mina and Nawaki." Naruto abruptly said. Not able to stand the mans presence any longer. He could throw himself onto an explosive-tag for all he cared.   
  
Ran bristled, but didn't have the energy to stop the blond boy from leaving. He'd not been gone for more than ten minutes before a kunai soared through the air and embedded itself in his throat.   
  
Meanwhile, Naruto followed the trails Minato had made sure to leave behind for him. A habit the two of them had picked up since using chakra left chakra trails that others could follow. Picking up on the small and insignificant things on the ground had the chance to throw off sensors.   
  
The boy hurried, still feeling slightly nauseous about the entire mission. The mission felt wrong from the very beginning, but he didn't know why.   
  
The moment Naruto entered the clearing where he could sense the two boys, his world slowed down and came to a halt.  
  
His heart thundered as his eyes followed Minato's unfamiliar, yet eerily familiar hand signs to the incomplete jutsu. He didn't know that Minato had been practicing that jutsu, that he even knew it at all.   
  
So when Minato disappeared in a yellow flash and reappeared just in time to knock Nawaki away from a suspicious-looking explosive-tag, Naruto could barely breathe.   
  
The clearing erupted into flames, and Naruto felt his blood turn to ice.  
  
"MINA!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, the title had nothing to do with GoT!


	37. Whispers of the Shinigami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit, reading the reactions on the previous chapter was glorious. You guys are awesome!

Jiraiya stood by the western gate of the village. The darkness of the night shielded and hid him from view. It was hard to stand still, especially when he knew that the sooner they left, the better their chances were at getting there before something happened. But Orochimaru was late, and that was starting to piss him off. Of all the times to run late- it had to be now.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru slipped down an alleyway, eyed the road in front of him and then crossed it with another shadow close behind him. If what Jiraiya said was true, then this was a whole lot bigger than he'd let on. As such, they would need all the help they could get.

The moment he approached the western gate, a small wave of KI washed over him. With effort, he refrained from rolling his eyes.

"What the hell's that for?" Tsunade hissed instead.

Jiraiya stumbled, surprised. "H-hime? What the hell Orochi-teme!" He growled, "Don't go around telling people like that!"

"It's her brother." Was all the man said, as if though that explained everything.

"Fine, whatever. Let's just go."

Tsunade slapped his shoulder as she passed him, melting into the shadows as they snuck out of the village in search of the chibi chunins.

For what it was worth, Jiraiya was happy to have his entire team with him for this one. Because he didn't know what they would find. 

 

* * *

 

It was depressing, how familiar the feeling of gut-wrenching agony was. It was like a long lost friend to Naruto. A feeling that he'd been so familiar with and so used to carrying that it became part of who he was. It was a weight on his soul that slowly crushed him.

Naruto's steps were sluggish, barely responsive enough to throw himself to the side as yet another dark cloaked Root tried to slash him open.

Why hadn't he killed Danzo before this? How could he have forgotten about the man that infested Konoha like cancer? _How could he have allowed Minato to get hurt!?_

He wanted to look to the side, to see his friend and make sure he wasn't gravely injured. But he couldn't. The Root operatives kept him occupied, and the shock of seeing Minato getting caught in an explosive-tag slowed his mind and reactions.

Naruto was in shock and trying to keep himself alive at the same time.

 ** _'Kit, you have to finish this quickly. The chibi Yondaime needs help, or he's going to die.'_**  Kurama warned, alert and calculating,  _'_ ** _There's eight of them left. That other chunin is dead, and the Senju brat is knocked out. At worst, the chibi will see you in your cloak. But judging by the scent of blood, he's preoccupied at the moment.'_**

Naruto didn't have to be told twice. His golden cloak wrapped around him and greeted him like an old friend. With significant effort, Kurama reeled in on the pressure his chakra emitted, lest he'd cause the chibi more harm than good. The last thing Minato needed was another reason to find it difficult to breathe.

Once the cloak was in place, Naruto's senses sharpened, and the urgency became all the more apparent.

Minato was dying.

The Rokudaime Hokage grit his teeth, rage surging through his body as he watched the brain-washed operatives charge him again. How  _dare_  they?  ** _How dare they!?_**

He disappeared in a flash, reappearing right behind two of his closest attackers and swiped his bare hand across their masks, maiming their faces without mercy.

Minato's hearing was slowly slipping away. Everything was becoming more and more like a whisper. Like he was underneath the ocean. His body hurt. There was so much pain coursing through him that he could barely breathe. But he tried, the best that he could, to not close his eyes.

He knew he was facing a tree, laying on the side. His skin burned, stung like someone had poured acid over him, and he wasn't sure if his vision was blurry from a concussion or from tears. Perhaps both. But he knew he couldn't close his eyes, because if he did, then he didn't think he'd be able to open them again.

With that in mind, his gaze was locked on something that shimmered in the grass. It was a golden necklace. His necklace. It was still attached around his neck, and the fire opal looked like liquid fire as it reflected something bright behind him. Minato couldn't help but wonder what it was; but his thoughts were fleeting, difficult to wrap his fingers around and hold steady.

Everything hurt. Everything ached and burned.

Was this it? Was this as far as he'd go? What would happen to Naruto if he died? Would he forgive him for leaving so soon?

Minato had only acted on instinct. The Hiraishin was a technique he'd found in a scroll in their library after reading about the Nidaime Hokage and how the technique had been the cause of his legendary speed. It was a jutsu he'd fallen in love with the moment he understood what potential it had. It was also a technique he'd wanted to perfect and then show to Naruto as a surprise.

Would he never be able to show him now?

This time Minato knew that it was salty tears that slid down his temple. Because they burnt against his skin like fire. If he could have sobbed, he would have, but he couldn't. Instead, more tears trickled down the bridge of his nose and tortured him.

Suddenly, the blurry vision of his golden necklace changed to the face of his best friend.

_Ah... Naru's safe..._

He was happy, despite it all, that he wasn't dying alone. 

 

* * *

 

Naruto pulled out his bare hand from the last Root operative and practically flew towards Minato as his golden cloak disappeared.

He dropped to his knees a good meter before he'd reached him, sliding across the ground the rest of the way. With trembling fingers, Naruto slowly turned him to the side, sucking in a sharp breath as he saw the burnt and bleeding face. His skin was so raw it looked like someone had tried to cook him over an open fire. Minato was the definition of third-degree burns and he wasn't recognizable.

"K-kurama, what do I do?" Naruto's voice trembled, tears welling up and spilling over. He wasn't even reflecting on the fact that he was speaking aloud. How did he fix this? This!?

 ** _'I can't promise it'll work, but if you channel my chakra into his system, I might be able to heal some of the damage.'_**  Kurama wasn't sure. He knew that his healing ability wasn't tied to just Naruto's body, but rather his chakra. The problem was that Minato wasn't Naruto and if he were mistaken, then he'd end up killing the boy instead. But Kurama had a theory, that Minato and Jiraiya could use his healing ability because of the constant exposure to his chakra. Jiraiya's body was already used to it after all the years they'd been together. And Minato and Naruto spent every waking moment with one another. Even going as far as sleeping in the same bed.

It was possible, but if he were wrong... well, then Minato would die anyway.

Naruto shakily pushed himself up against the tree, trying his best to gently moved Minato into his lap while doing the least amount of damage to him. The only indication he had that he hurt him was the glazed eyes and the tears that silently rolled down his temples. Minato couldn't even speak, his burns too severe and the pain too overwhelming. He didn't have long before the wounds consumed him.

"Please, Kurama!" He pleaded desperately, closing his eyes as he pressed his forehead to the single spot on Minato's face that wasn't bleeding or raw. If Minato died, he'd never forgive himself. Not after all they'd gone through. Not after all of this!

Kurama took up a lotus position inside of Naruto's mindscape. Closing his eyes as he moved his chakra through Naruto's limbs.

It was a peculiar feeling. Sharing his chakra with another being outside of Naruto. But it worked, and he felt it slide across and seep into the pores of the boy.

He avoided the organs. The chances of his chakra burning them were too great, and then Minato would die with organs that'd turned to charcoal. Instead, he focused on the outer layer of the boy's flesh, coating him in a thin layer of chakra like a cocoon. As if he was being placed in an incubator of chakra.

Meanwhile, Naruto rocked the boy back and forth in his arms, the shock had resurfaced and returned with a vengeance. He shouldn't be moving him, but his panic and shock tossed that rational thought to the wind. He also didn't know what he was whispering in Minato's ear, but all he knew was that if he stopped, then he'd break down entirely.  
  
Everything became too much, and the panic overwhelmed him. What was he supposed to do!? How could he fix this!? He sobbed loudly, tears rolling down his cheeks relentlessly. Damnit!

The situation was so similar to the one he'd experienced when Sasuke destroyed Konoha. The same way he'd held Sakura and Kakashi in his arms, feeling their life slipping away from him. He'd cried then, cried in a way he hadn't thought possible, just like now.

Because the fear inside of him had received a face. Solitude was nothing compared to holding the ones you loved while they died. Holding them and knowing that there was nothing you could do.

Minato couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. He felt cold, hollow, almost. Despite his best efforts, he closed his eyes, and the precious sight of his best friend turned into darkness. That's how he floated back and forth from unconsciousness to consciousness.

But then, suddenly, that cold and hollow feeling began to slip away like melted snow. In its place came warmth. Something that warmed his bones and made him want to sleep. It reminded him of a fire and Naruto. But he knew better than to fall asleep. So he waited, mind moving between coherent and incoherent thoughts. After a moment, the faint sound of a voice penetrated the smog around his consciousness.

It was hard to hear what it was, or who was talking. But a constant mantra of  _'No, no, no, no-'_ echoed into the darkness and Minato felt his heart tighten painfully.

A moment later he connected the voice of the mantra to that of his friend.

Minato wanted to tell him that he was fine, that it didn't hurt as much anymore, but he was barely able to keep himself coherent- much less conscious.

But he knew, that if by some miracle he survived this, then he'd never leave Naruto's side ever again. 

 

* * *

 

Jiraiya almost doubled over when he felt Minato's chakra dwindle to a mere speck, barely strong enough to be called living. "Minato's dying," He managed to squeeze out, utterly horrified, "Hime, hurry!"

They all picked up their pace, not far away from them now. "What about Nawaki!?" She shouted, heart beating so fast it hurt.

Out of the three of them, the snake Sannin was the most calm. But even he was worried. "He's fine," Orochimaru frowned, his senses stretching as far as they could go, "He's unconscious but okay. So is Naruto, but his chakra is flickering."

It didn't take a genius to figure out why that was. All three of them knew how attached Naruto was to Minato. If Minato were dying, then Naruto would lose any and all composure that he had.

The three of them dropped down in a clearing that could only be described as carnage. There were bodies in black cloaks all over the area, most of them ripped to pieces as well.

Tsunade saw the boy's first, allowing a second to register Nawaki who laid peacefully in the grass- completely knocked out. She rushed forward, crouching down by the two. Naruto was slowly rocking Minato's still form back and forth, whispering a mantra of 'No, no, no, no-' and never noticing how the Sannin rounded him. The boy was in shock.

Jiraiya moved to place his hands on Naruto's shoulder, to pull him away so Tsunade could work, but she quickly held up her hands and made her two teammates still, "I- He's healing him." She let her hands hover over Minato's small body. It was badly burnt, but it was healing rapidly. The scorching chakra was working its way from the inside- out. It didn't go below the tissue of the outer layer, but it was mending the burns that would have left terrible scars.

"Kurama?" Jiraiya asked, because there was no way Naruto was in a state of mind to even attempt to heal someone. His eyes moved over the red chakra that suddenly began to take shape in front of them. It grew, rising above the small boy until it took the form of a small fox head. It was only a silhouette, but it was enough of an indicator that Kurama was able to hear them and that he was working on healing the boy. With confirmation, Jiraiya nodded to Tsunade while at the same time watching Naruto with concern, "The chakra will most likely hurt you, but if you coordinate with Kurama, then you'll be able to heal the parts he can't."

" _'Can't'?_ " Orochimaru placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder to ground him. The moment he did, Naruto's mantra disappeared, and he stilled. It was almost like Orochimaru's touch absorbed the panic and shock.

Tsunade got to work, allowing herself half an ear to listen to her teammates as they spoke,

"Can't." Jiraiya confirmed grimly, "Minato and I are probably the only ones who can be healed by them. The more you're exposed to their chakra, the less of a strain it does on your body. But it takes years before it's completely effective. Judging by the time Minato and Naruto's spent with each other, Naruto and Kurama can heal the outer layer of his body. But if he tried to treat the inside..."

"He'd get fried," Tsunade finished, all business. "Half of his body is already healed, but he's in shock." She then mumbled, "I can't believe he's still awake with these injuries."

"Can you put him to sleep? Is it safe?" Jiraiya inquired, his fear slowly settling and calming down.

"It's safe. He's going to live and recover if Kurama keeps healing him. He might not even scar at this rate."

"Naruto," Orochimaru squeezed down on the boy's shoulder, registering the boy tensing underneath his hold, "He's going to be fine. But he's in pain, and it will make it easier for him if he's asleep."

At first, Naruto didn't respond, but then he nodded stiffly. He didn't want Minato to be in pain. Minato and pain didn't belong in the same sentence.

His heart was breaking, but even so, "You can sleep now, Mina. I'll watch over you." Naruto whispered softly in his ear, instantly feeling Minato's body slump against his hold. Minato was out like a light.

"What happened, Naruto?" Jiraiya finally asked, watching the tear-struck face of his adoptive son. That expression didn't suit him, he felt. Naruto was one of the most powerful men he knew, and seeing him so vulnerable was unsettling. Naruto rarely broke down and when he did, it was because everything became too much. If this was the reaction to almost losing Minato... then he didn't want to know what would happen if he truly did.

"There was nobody here when we arrived." Naruto said quietly as he raised one of his arms to rub his traitorous tears away. His voice shook, desperately trying to compose himself. "Ran-san ordered us to begin removing the traps. So we split up after getting assigned a partner. Nawaki and Mina went together, and I stayed with him. We wrapped up, and I took off to help out the others. But something had been bugging me since the beginning of the mission, it didn't feel right... I arrived just as Mina pushed Nawaki away from some weird explosive-tag and then the entire clearing exploded." His voice turned hoarse as tears burned behind his eyes once again, "The next thing I know these bastards drop down from the trees." Naruto glared at the dead Root operatives as best as he could. It didn't have the effect he'd wanted. "That explosion-tag was way too potent and charged to be a standard issued one. That was meant to blow someone to pieces." His eyes fell onto Minato, his fingers gently moving across the newly healed skin on his face as a tear rolled down his cheek, "I think Mina's technique coated him with chakra, or he would have gotten his limbs ripped off."

Jiraiya swallows thickly and Tsunade paled.

"What technique would that be?" Orochimaru couldn't help but ask. It had to be a strong one if the jutsu itself was the cause for the boy's survival.

"The Hiraishin. He's been practicing it... that's how he got to Nawaki in time." Naruto held the blond boy close, trying to reassure himself that he was breathing... or even living.

Jiraiya felt his lips part in shock, eyes falling to Minato who suddenly appeared quite peaceful in Naruto's arms. "What?"

"It makes sense," Orochimaru mused quietly, quite impressed that a mere child could use such a technique in the first place, "The Hiraishin is a space-time ninjutsu made from fuinjutsu. Such a technique would require the user to be coated in chakra if they didn't want to rip themselves apart or leave their legs behind when they jump. How extraordinary." The man tilted his head to the side, practically seeing the boy in Naruto's arms for the first time.

"There," Tsunade finally let out a heavy breathe, "Most of his skin is healed and so is most of his burns and internal wounds. There's nothing life-threatening left. If I heal the remaining superficial wounds, they will scar. It's best if Kurama handles those."

"Thank you," Naruto said quietly and hugged Minato close to his body. The gratitude in his voice felt like a blade in the gut. "Thank you all for coming when you did." His eyes closed, allowing his friends warmth to fill his senses.

Jiraiya's lips pulled into a soft smile as he placed his hand on Naruto's head, "Anytime kid." He then gently stroke Minato's hair as well. They were both like his sons. Not just Naruto. 

The two other Sannin followed suit, reassuring the boy.

But in the back of their minds, the reality of the situation was cementing itself. The facts stood as they did; someone had just tried to kill Senju Nawaki and had almost succeeded in killing Namikaze Minato- albeit by accident. And, judging by the area, the attackers had been ripped to pieces as a result. Not that any of the Sannin felt a lot of pity for them.

"Where's the other chunin?" Tsunade looked around, not seeing him.

"He was five hundred meters to the northeast the last time I saw him," Naruto explained quietly. Feeling slightly repulsed at himself for not actually finding it in himself to care. While the man was a bastard, he didn't deserve to die.

After doing a quick check on Nawaki, Tsunade slipped away with Orochimaru who carrying the young chunin in his arms, leaving Jiraiya and Naruto alone.

"How are you holding up?" The man asked at last. Naruto looked like a wreck. His eyes were red and puffy, so was his cheeks. 

Naruto felt his throat tightened along with his chest. He wasn't 'holding up' at all. "He would have died." Naruto hugged Minato to his body, burying his face in his hair, "I-I wasn't fast enough and I-  _He almost died!_ " His hand clutched the boy's green vest until his knuckles turned white.   
  
He wasn't prepared! He'd failed!

He didn't release his painful hold until Jiraiya placed a soothing hand on his head once more, "But he didn't." The man said gently, "He's alive because of you."

That was a notion Naruto didn't allow himself to believe. Because Minato shouldn't have ended up in that situation in the first place. He'd failed him and the fear that'd been rooted inside of him sprouted and bloomed. He couldn't recall ever feeling so utterly terrified since the loss of his village. But even so... Minato was special. Minato was the first person that cared about him because he wanted to, not because he had to or felt inclined to due to circumstances. Sure, Jiraiya did that as well, but it wasn't the same. Minato's reasons were untainted and pure.

He'd been brought together with Jiraiya through Minato in his first life. So it wasn't because Jiraiya was drawn to him on his own.

This time... this time it was all him. Which meant that losing Minato would have wounded him so severely that he doubted that he'd ever recover from it.

Naruto's thoughts suddenly took a darker turn, eyes slowly turning ablaze with fury. The person who'd hurt Minato was  ** _Danzo_**. "Danzo will pay for this." Naruto spoke lowly, the murderous intent behind his words were almost tangible. It wasn't a question, but a promise.

Jiraiya felt a chill run down his spine as he nodded in agreement, "He will. We should have killed him the moment we got back from Uzu." He admitted, much to his own shame. They'd been careless.

"Indeed." The young Hokage said. He rubbed away yet another traitorous tear that had lingered in his eye. He hated breaking down like this. It made him feel so weak. But the fury inside of him kept his thoughts sharp and mind clear. He'd slipped into his Hokage persona once again.

"But first," The Sannin sat down in defeat, "I have a bunch of explaining to do... because I'm pretty sure I just exposed myself to Orochi-teme and Hime. They're going to demand answers, and they won't settle for something half-arsed. They'll need the truth. All of it."

That wasn't good. _But,_  Naruto thought, they obviously needed more allies if this situation was anything to go by.  
  
His finger gently trailed over Minato smooth cheek. He looked so peaceful.  
  
If telling Orochimaru and Tsunade about their real identities would help him protect Minato, then he didn't care who knew. So long as he'd never have to see Minato so close to dying again. Because God help anyone that tried to hurt him!

"Do it." Naruto all but commanded, making Jiraiya straighten his back on reflex. "But don't sugar-coat it." He warned, eyes flickering with a scorching fire that held warning and promise. It was the eyes of a powerful man. "If they want to know, then they're going to sit through all of it. And if they need proof, then you can use the pond on Mount Myoboku. That will give them more than enough evidence."

Jiraiya nodded grimly. The pond was always an alternative. And since the Sannin were well liked by them, the Toads, they wouldn't have any qualms about allowing the two of them to visit for a while. Not if it meant showing them what the world looked like in the future.

What Naruto grew to become. What he still was.

Perhaps it was best to do it that way after all. Sometimes words weren't enough. Sometimes you had to see with your own eyes to believe or to fully comprehend something. Especially with the sheer magnitude of the catastrophe the future harbored. There wasn't a way to describe how Konoha looked after Pein and Sasuke razed it to the ground. Nor what the devastation brought by the Juubi looked like.

"Got it."

 

* * *

 

Minato awoke to the sound of a beeping heart monitor. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a white ceiling, the smell of disinfectant and something heavy on his arm.

The horrible pain he remembered was gone, and for a moment he wondered if he was on heavy pain medication. Because he didn't feel any of the pain such severe burns would have left behind. The pain he remembered.

Suddenly, the sound of shuffling fabric occurred and the weight on his arm disappeared.

"Mina?" Naruto whispered in a voice coated with something akin to disbelief and enormous relief.

Minato slowly turned his head to the side. His gaze landed on his best friend and the horrible redness in his eyes. His skin was pale, cheeks puffy along with the eyes that were slightly swollen. In short, it looked like Naruto hadn't slept for a week.

"Naru?" The boy croaked, his throat sore from disuse.

A strange mix between a chuckle and a sob of relief made its way up and out of Naruto throat. He shook his head, moving closer to the boy on the bed, and then pressed his head into the side of his. "You almost died." He spoke quietly, voice thick with suffocating emotion, "You could have died..."

"I'm sorry," Minato felt his eyes burn. Now that he could melt what had happened, the phantom pains from the burns coursing over his skin and the horrible drifting of his mind... It was scary. Terrifying. He almost _died_. "I- I just reacted. I'm sorry!" The boy's voice turned a little panicked, desperate. 

But Naruto shook his head, not having any of it as he placed his hand on Minato's cheek- calming him while he slowly moved his thumb up and down. "Please... Promise me you'll never do that again." Minato heard the fear in his voice and had to close his eyes, a tear sliding down his cheek, "Don't make me watch you die too."

Suddenly, Minato felt a whole lot worse than he previously had. How could he have been so stupid? He'd promised Naruto that he wouldn't die. That he'd never leave Naruto behind. Yet, he'd broken that promise and almost left him!

Even worse, he knew that Naruto had already watched all his loved ones die once before. He didn't need him to make that worse than it already was.

"I promise," Minato vowed through a sob. He never planned to do something like this again. No matter what his instincts screamed at him. He'd never make Naruto watch him die again.

The younger of the two allowed his fingers to move back and forth over Minato's cheekbone. An action that was meant to soothe his own worries rather than the newly awoken boys. Naruto needed something to ground him. Otherwise, he'd withdraw into himself and break down like he had right after he'd lost Konoha. It was too close. Far too close. He never wanted to feel like this again.

Minato scooted over to the side of the bed, a silent invitation for Naruto to come closer.

He didn't need to be told twice, and quietly climbed onto the bed. He settled on his side, wrapping his arms around the boy who now felt so sickeningly fragile that he didn't dare to hold him too tightly. "You scared me." He finally said.

The only response he got was Minato's arm that moved over his side and down his back, pulling him close.

They were silent for a long time after that. Holding each other as they desperately tried to heal both mind and soul.

"I'm sorry," Minato finally whispered. But then he asked, "...Naru?"

"Hmm?" 

"Why aren't I in any pain..? I remember hurting so much I couldn't think straight..."

Naruto had already expected that question, and had prepared an answer to it as well; "I didn't know if it would work... but I managed to push my chakra onto you and use my Kekkei Genkai to heal you. Ero-sennin, Oro, and Baa-chan arrived a bit later as well. Apparently, something was strange with the mission, and they were worried."  
  
And that was good enough for him, Minato felt.

"Thank you," His hold of Naruto grew a little firmer, "Thank you..!"

"I'll always be there for you. Just-"

"I know. I promise."  
  
Naruto closed his eyes, trying to push away the horrible images that kept flashing before him. Minato wasn't dead, he told himself, Minato wasn't dying.   
  
He wouldn't let him.  

Not ever.


	38. Down the Rabbit-Hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, guys. Real-talk for a moment...
> 
> I love that you enjoy my story, we've already established that. I'll be forever thankful, and it's incredibly motivating to me as the author.
> 
> I've worked very hard to make this fic something I can be proud of. A story that I both enjoy reading and writing. It's my baby(kind of). I'm aware this is a fanfic and that I don't own Naruto, I'm not delusional. I don't claim to own Naruto and I never will. But I'm still the author of this AU. This is MY work. It's countless hours of MY week and MY life that has gone into this.
> 
> Now, I'd like to think this shit was pretty damn obvious; but apparently, it isn't.  
> ****You don't copy-paste and upload a story that isn't yours! That's plagiarism!****
> 
> I don't care if you credit me on every single page. You don't upload my stuff unless you talk to me and I permit you to do so! It's rude af. That's just common sense. I don't own Naruto, but all the OC's are >mine<. 
> 
> Taketa ain't going to stand for this shit, let me tell you!
> 
> This stuff really upset me, especially when it was a friend of mine that made me aware of it by sending me a screenshot when I was in uni, explaining that someone copied it. It's not fun to hear. I appreciate that you like it, but if you want to read 'The Yellow Dyad,' do it here. Just like everyone else.
> 
> I'll admit, I threw a bit of a fit and debated not continuing to post my chapters online. Because seeing someone claiming credit for my hard work fucking sucks ass. But I know myself, I don't like collective punishment, and more than likely, I'd upload anyway... albeit rarely just because it pisses me off. 
> 
> But please, don't do this shit again. I don't appreciate it. 
> 
> If you know it's you who did it, then just stop. It's not my aim to attack you or make your life miserable. I forgive you, but don't do it again. And I want you to know that you're welcome to stick around and keep reading this story if you enjoy it. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them.
> 
> Now... into the rabbit-hole.

Naruto laid on the side, gaze fixed upon Minato who slept soundly next to him. He was still in the hospital, too weak to move around just yet. While he didn't have any scars aside from a small one on his left arm, Minato's body's was under a lot of stress. The shock of Kurama's and Naruto's chakra in his system still lingered.

Unlike Naruto who could run a lap around the village the day after almost dying, Minato would need time to recover. The rapid healing he'd gone through wasn't normal, and it put a lot of strain on his body. Frankly, Naruto was scared of the consequences such a thing might cause him. Perhaps not this once, but it wasn't something Kurama and Naruto would be able to repeat without drawbacks.

Minato slept soundly, peacefully.

But Naruto remembered how his face looked the day before. How Minato's tanned skin was raw and bleeding, his lips practically melted together.

The man turned boy slowly trailed the back of his fingers across Minato's cheek. Skin smooth as silk and not a blemish in sight.

While it should never have happened in the first place- he would have died an excruciating death with those burns. He could only imagine the physical agony he'd been in.

_'Thank you, Kurama. He would have died without you.'_

There was a moment of silence, but then;  ** _'Anytime, Kit.'_**

Minato stirred a little, not waking, but frowning ever so slightly as he nuzzled his face into the side of Naruto's chest, seeking warmth.

"I'll protect you," He promised in a whisper, gently wrapping his arms around the young boy,  _"I promise."_

And he did.

The usually kind and warm cerulean eyes turned cold as ice. Shimmering with so much hatred and fury that the Sandaime himself would have curled in on himself.

**_Danzo w_ _ould_ _pay for this!_ **

Suddenly, Minato groaned, seemingly in pain. He'd done that a lot while sleeping, dreaming of the excruciating agony he'd been in. It came in small episodes, lasting but a few seconds. He sucked in a sharp breath, letting it turn to clipped gasps. He quickly turned pale, skin glistening with a sudden cold sweat.   
  
Something twisted inside of the former Kage, watching a mere eleven-year-old boy dreaming about pain.

"Do you remember when we filled Shikaku's house with pineapples?" Naruto asked quietly, calmly, "I remember how worried you were, that you'd get into trouble. Little Mina with the spotless record." He chuckled softly, watching with satisfaction how Minato's body began to relax, his breathing evening out. It was already over. "I promised myself to make sure you got into a bunch of trouble after that. Life's nothing without a little excitement."

A small hum escaped the sleeping boy, a sound one could argue was that of either agreement or complete disagreement. 

Regardless, Naruto smiled gently.

He knew their relationship was weird, questionable even. But Minato made him happy. He could be himself. No Hokage, no hero of the elemental nations, no expectations and no bijuu inside of him. He could be normal, ordinary. Even if he knew that he wasn't, Minato allowed him to feel that way. He didn't force him to be anyone but himself and what he wanted to be.

Most likely, Minato had no idea he had that effect on him, but he did.

Then there was that other part of their relationship; The part that people questioned.

Naruto was an old soul. Nothing would change that. By all rights, Minato was a young and bright one, like Naruto  _used_  to be. However, deep-rooted loneliness existed inside of the time-traveller. It was something that ached and made his bones turn cold, and his soul fell empty.

But Minato's bright and optimistic personality made him warmer. Less lonely and hollow.

He knew because he wasn't stupid, that the way they held onto each other every waking moment of the day wasn't normal. But to him, Minato had become someone that was  _necessary_. Now that he'd felt the warmth of the sun, he never wanted to let it go. He'd been standing in the shadows of a broken world for far too long, so long that he'd forgotten what it felt like to see the sun. To bask in its bright rays of sunlight.

Minato made him feel less broken. Less tainted.

But it was fear that kept him so close. Fear of losing what little happiness he'd finally acquired.

Perhaps it was selfish, but he didn't care what people thought. He didn't want to let Minato go, because it frightened him, scared him to death.

Naruto didn't know how to describe them. Minato called him his best friend. That was fine by him. The boy could call him whatever he wanted, so he'd simply settled for the same thing because it was practical. But it didn't quite match.

To Naruto, Minato was a treasure he'd been chosen to guard. A sleeping Fox kit that was almost too innocent for the world even to exist.

He smiled, feeling a little silly, but that was all right. His fingers gently moved across Minato's cheek, watching with not a little humour how the boy tried to bat his hand away in his sleep- like it was an annoying fly.

Indeed, Minato was special.  
Uncomplicated and safe.  
His sun.

 

* * *

  


With Nawaki in the hospital with a minor concussion along with a pair of blood-clones keeping watch, Tsunade and Orochimaru stood in Jiraiya's kitchen where they waited for an explanation.

Neither of them was stupid. Jiraiya's 'worry' about that mission was fair, but also far-fetched. The coincidence was too great. Because why had he read the mission scroll in the first place? How did he even know where his students were going? How did he know what to look for to identify Root's involvement?

No, both of them knew that Jiraiya knew more than he let on. And they were going to find out what and how. If it had to do with Tsunade's little brother, a suspicious elder and brain-washed and unknown shinobi- then Jiraiya had a hell of a story to tell.

Jiraiya watched his teammates grimly. He'd been prepared for this, at least that's what he'd thought. Truth be told, Jiraiya was terrified because he couldn't predict how they would react.

What would they do when they found out what happened to them the first time around?

A gambling alcoholic and a vicious missing-nin?

It made him sick to just think about. 'No sugar-coating' Naruto had said. Honestly, he didn't think that was even possible in the first place.

"I think..." Jiraiya said slowly, gravely, "That we need to pay Mount Myoboku a visit. There's something I have to show you."

Trepidation crawled around inside of the other two Sannin. It was impossible not to worry when Jiraiya spoke like that. The man was hardly ever serious unless something was, as one would say,  _serious_.

 

* * *

 

Orochimaru didn't know what to think when he stood in front of the small clear pond. There were Toads all around them, watching them, judging them. If felt oddly like standing on trial and that, while he wouldn't admit it aloud, freaked him out.

He'd never liked Toads. They were food for snakes such as him. Never mind slug. Those were just nasty.

But despite those things, the way everyone watched him and Tsunade was making him worried. This was a whole lot bigger than he knew, he was convinced of that.

Tsunade seemed to be on the same line of though, and the two of them exchanged a lingering glance.

"Jiraiya-chan." Shima greeted, "It's good to see you again." Fukasaku nodded in silent agreement.

"Maa, Paa." He returned with a small smile, but then it dropped, and he grew serious, "They need to know. They've noticed that I... know things."

"That's an understatement," Tsunade grumbled, frowning slightly. She just wanted to get on with it. All these secretive conversations were beginning to piss her off. And patience wasn't exactly her forte.

"You wish to use the pond then; I take it?" Fukasaku wondered.

Jiraiya nodded, "Please."

"Alright then. But we'll be watching you. Can't have anyone making trouble." The two Toads flashed a toothless grin, reminding the Sannin of a rather ugly baby without teeth and a beard and shower cap.

"Was is this 'pond'?" Tsunade asked.

"It's a place that is linked to the summoner of their contract. Through it they can see what the summoner sees, when they have cause to ready themselves for battle, or when the summoner requires aid." Orochimaru explained, "All large Summoning clans have a variation of the 'pond'. So do yours." He allowed a rather unimpressed eye to land on his teammate, watching her redden in either embarrassment or anger. He didn't care which one. "But it can also be used to see what the summoner  _have_  seen. Correct?"

The white-haired man nodded stiffly, "You're going to be watching my own and Naruto's memories. From the very beginning...  _to the very end_." He finished with a warning. Neither Orochimaru or Tsunade could leave until they'd seen it all. That was the deal. No half measures. All or nothing.

"I feel I have to ask," Shima croaked, gaze fixed upon their guests, "Are you prepared for this?"

"Prepared..?"

* * *

   
Tsunade was less than pleased about getting wet in a pond belonging to Toads. The water, frankly, smelled like crap. The pond was beautiful, but it still smelled. Although Orochimaru didn't seem to care, neither did Jiraiya as they two of them slowly lowered themselves into the water.   
  
She sighed, long-suffering and heavy. She sure hoped the smell would wash out, or someone was going to find themselves needing a genin to scrape them off the damn wall.   
  
The water was cold. When the three Sannin disappeared underneath the water, chakra from the pond encased them, connecting them to the chakra that already existed inside of it. It was old, ancient, one might even claim.   
  
Tsunade felt herself sink deeper and deeper until everything was so dark that she couldn't even see her own hands. Yet, the impulse to breath had disappeared. Absently she wondered why that was. Did the pond substitute oxygen with its chakra?  
  
"Let's begin," Jiraiya said quietly. If it was strange for him to be able to talk underneath the surface of the water, then nobody commented. "We'll start with today's date."  
  
Confused, but too curious to question what he meant, Tsunade and Orochimaru watched the darkness twist and gain colour. Silhouettes of buildings grew from nothing, and before they knew it, they were standing in Konoha.   
  
It only took a few seconds before the two of them realised that they were watching the Konoha shinobi morgue.   
  
All of a sudden, the door open and a woman with a large bust, blond hair and honey coloured eyes walked out, crying and sobbing uncontrollably. She sank to her knees in the middle of the street, drove her fingers into the dirt and cried, _"Nawaki!"_  
  
Tsunade raised her hand and covered her mouth, horrified of what this 'vision' was showing her. Nawaki wasn't dead, so what was going on?!  
  
But Orochimaru felt something else. He felt suspicious. Because in the back of his mind, a theory began to form. It wasn't a complete or plausible one, but it was a theory none the less. And one he had a fair bit of doubt about.   
  
Suddenly, an arm stretched forward from seemingly nowhere. It was coming from them. As if it was they who reached a hand towards the devastated Tsunade.   
  
Orochimaru's eyes flickered to the side. He knew how the pond worked. Everything was from the summoners perspective. Which meant that they saw everything from Jiraiya's eyes.   
  
However, Nawaki wasn't dead, and Tsunade was right here with them. Did that mean that Nawaki would die later today?  
   
_"I'm sorry Tsunade,"_ They could hear Jiraiya say, _"I'm so sorry..."_  
  
The woman pushed his hand away, stumbling to her feet and dragged herself away and down the street, leaving behind a man that didn't know what he could say in a situation like this. How did one comfort a person who'd just lost the last of her family? There was nothing he could possibly say to her.  
  
The door to the morgue opened once more, and Orochimaru walked out, face grim and eyes holding a slightly colder shine to them than usual.   
  
_"What happened?"_ The white-haired Sannin asked.  
  
_"He stepped on an explosive-tag and was blown to pieces. They brought him back in bags."_ Orochimaru turned to watch his teammate who was swaying unsteadily on the road as she walked away. _"They had to run him through the DNA database to even be sure it was him."_  
  
"What the hell is going on!?" Tsunade suddenly exclaimed, not knowing what to think but feeling herself threading closer and closer to a panic attack. "What is this!?"  
  
"These," Jiraiya said, voice tight and strained, "Are my memories."  
  


* * *

  
The two Sannin were beginning to form something close to an understanding of what was going on. At least in some shape or form. They knew that it was real because the pond couldn't lie, but it was how these memories had ended up in the pond in the first place that confused them.   
  
Was Jiraiya able to foretell the future?  
  
Jiraiya saw the question coming before it was even asked, so he said, rather bluntly and incredibly anti-climatically, "I travelled back in time."  
  
Tsunade stared at him flatly, mouth slightly agape and then she snorted loudly, "Yeah, right."  
  
But Orochimaru wasn't so quick to judge. No, instead he looked at the man. _Truly_ looked at him. What he found were eyes far older, worn and wary, than he'd ever seen before. Older than their sensei's, older than a retired shinobi veteran... older than his own. The man was practically ageing in front of their very _eyes_ , but only he appeared to see it. Tsunade was too busy denying that what she'd witnessed, too scared to even think it possible.  
  
However, Orochimaru was a man of science. Facts and information.  
  
Time-travel... wasn't exactly _impossible_... in theory.  
  
"How?" The snake Sannin all but demanded.   
  
"You can't honestly believe this!?" Tsunade snapped, but received no reply from the black-haired man, "This is ludicrous! I don't want to watch whatever the hell this is! Let's me out of here!"  
  
"No!" Jiraiya snapped right back, "You wanted to see, and the condition was that you'd watch all of it. Suck it up princess because the world I come from isn't full of sunshine and rainbows! Everyone you know and love will die. Dan dies in a couple of months. You leave the village, taking Shizune-chan with you as you gamble yourself into a debt so large you'll never get yourself out of it! You develop hemophobia after failing to save Dan, and then you drown yourself in alcohol!" The man breathed heavily, angry and tired of always having to defend himself around his teammate. He was tired of not being believed, not just with this, but with everything. To be seen as the 'stupid' teammate because he was laid back and had questionable hobbies. There were a time and place, and Tsunade wasn't capable of taking him seriously when he actually was. It had to stop, now.  
  
He'd seen more and learned more than he cared for, and it was time for his teammates to learn that information came with consequences. Information that they all but demanded from him. Everything had a price.   
  
Only this time, the consequences were devastating. If he had to, he'd knock them out and seal their memories. Once upon a time, he would have never even considered it, but the world was more important than one or two people. To save the world, he'd kill anyone and do anything.  
  
"T-that's a lie..." Tsunade's eyes widened in horror, shaking her head in disbelief. "I wouldn't do that!"  
  
"Are you sure?" Jiraiya moved closer to her, towering over her as she felt herself grow smaller and smaller under his scrutiny. "You ran away. You might not have gotten branded as a missing-nin, but that was only because sensei couldn't bring himself to lose another student." He glared, angry, but not necessarily at her, "It was only because of Naruto that you even returned, over a decade and a half later."  
  
Tsunade was speechless, honestly not sure what to say to something like that. She didn't even know if she understood what was going on.  
  
Orochimaru was different. More questions than his head could wrap itself around popped up in his skull. "Naruto travelled back as well, didn't he?" He ended up asking. First thing's first.  
  
"He did." Jiraiya turned to the man, eyes hard and ready to battle a bear with his bare hands if he had to, "He's the reason it was even possible in the first place."  
  
Orochimaru had another two hundred questions taking shape, but he continued from the top; "And you said that sensei lost another student. Does that mean I either died of went rogue?"  
  
"Rogue." Was all that he said.  
  
It stung, how blunt it was. But he didn't know the context or the reason, so he wasn't going to pull a Tsunade and throw a fit and overreact. As much as it hurt, he knew he was capable of leaving Konoha behind.   
  
Orochimaru slowly nodded, a contemplating and thoughtful expression on his face.   
  
However, the million Ryo question still remained, "Why did you travel back?"  
  
Jiraiya swallowed thickly, "There is no simple reason." He said, doing his best to formulate his thoughts as his teammates watched him in silence. Tsunade stood some distance away from them, but close enough to hear. Orochimaru merely wanted to understand as much as he could. "Everything started going wrong today when Nawaki was supposed to die. It was the first hit to the legendary Sannin," He laughed dryly, "We became such a mess. You went rogue, hime wallowed in self-pity and grief, and I used my spy-network to stay away from the village as well."  
  
Those words had Tsunade moving closer, her throat tight and chest aching. The more she listened, and the more she allowed herself to believe, the more sense it all made.   
  
"But this isn't our story." Jiraiya said quietly, almost sadly, "We were never the main characters. The protagonists. In the end, we were pawns. The means to an end. Hime," His eyes sought out hers, "You became the Godaime in my time. You might have had your flaws, big ones, but you carried on sensei's legacy when he was killed."  
  
What...? "Someone killed sensei?" She took another step forward. Was there even some, aside from possibly Naruto, who could stand on even ground with him?  
  
The Toad Sage said nothing, but let his eyes land on Orochimaru. Said man instantly knew who'd killed him. "Why?" He asked. Why would he kill his own teacher? It didn't make any sense. He carried no ill will towards the man.  
  
"There was a lot of contributing factors to why you defected the village." Jiraiya admitted tiredly, "You're a genius and a powerful one at that, nobody can take that away from you. But you're calculating, and you have a habit of forgetting about the 'little people'. I wouldn't call you cold, but-"  
  
"I don't share sensei's vision on what the Will of Fire is." Orochimaru finished, beginning to understand, at least a little bit.  
  
"You wanted to be Hokage." Orochimaru's eyes darkened. He'd suspected that it might have had something to do with that. It would seem that he was right. "More than anything. But sensei didn't choose you in the end. He chose Namikaze Minato, Konoha's Yellow Flash, and the fastest man ever known... My student."  
  
"You said 'Godaime'..." Tsunade swallowed thickly. If Minato became the Yondaime...  
  
"He held office for nine months before he sacrificed his life to seal away the Kyuubi in a newborn boy with a Shiki Fujin seal." He smiled with a glaring lack of cheer, "The girl from Uzushio who carried Kurama, Uzumaki Kushina, had her seal broken when she gave birth to her son, Naruto."  
  
"W-wait!" Tsunade help up her hands in a time-out, "That loud brat from Uzushio is Naruto's _mother?_ A-what.. Is- Is Minato Naruto's _father?_..."  
  
Jiraiya didn't reply, his silence answer enough.   
  
The two Sannin blinked slowly.   
  
"Show us." Orochimaru finally said. "Show us everything."  
  
A weight dropped from the time-travellers shoulders. It was words he'd dreamt of hearing for a long time. He had Naruto, but there were some things he couldn't talk to him about. Things he didn't understand or know about Jiraiya's life. It was things only his teammates would understand.   
  
  


* * *

  
Tsunade sat in one of the dark corners of the seemingly bottomless pond. A place you could apparently breathe in too. Her mind was racing, so many questions... so many horrifying questions.   
  
They had just finished watching what happened up until Naruto's birth. Even going as far as seeing Kushina and Minato impaled and dead on the ground. She'd almost thrown up at seeing that small and bright boy mutilated and lifeless. Even the horrible third-degree burns didn't leave her that nauseous.   
  
But Minato died a hero, at least to most people. Tsunade felt sick, realising that the man turned his own son into a Jinchuuriki and at the same time left him an orphan. All for the sake of the village.  
  
Meanwhile, Orochimaru stood to the other side. Like Tsunade, he was deep in thought. Going over what he knew and what he'd learned.   
  
If this was anything to go by, then the village was in for a couple of rather rough few years. But then again, he didn't have any desire to be Hokage anymore. He'd already deemed Naruto the better fit for such a job. Also, experimenting on children... he could see the merits of gaining the Mokuton again, but something felt strange with that.   
  
As a man of science. Facts and information... he felt like he was missing something. Because he knew himself better than anyone. Something made him do those things, but what, or whom? What drove him to take children from their homes and place them on the cutting board like animals?  
  
Something was missing, he just knew.  
  
_But_ , he thought absently, allowing his gaze to move to his teammates. He had a feeling he was going to receive all his answers in due time. Because as Jiraiya said; this was never their story.  
  
This was the story of Uzumaki Naruto.   
  
  



	39. In the name of I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I like to spoil you all <3 And I'm bored af.

Orochimaru wasn't a man that found himself disgusted or repulsed by many things. More often than not, he could see things from different perspectives. He had a holistic mindset, one might say.  
  
But this was wrong. There was nothing to consider or debate. It was simply  _wrong._  
  
_"Monster!"_ ,  _"Demon!"_ ,  _"It's that kid again..."_ ,  _"Ssh, we're not allowed to talk about that."_ ,  _"Don't play with him."_ ,  _"Stay away from him."_ ,  _"That boy is a demon.", "Devil spawn."_  
  
And on and on it went.  
  
They all watched Naruto through his memories. The way the cold eyes of the villages burned with hatred for a boy that didn't know why they loathed him. Had he done something wrong? Had he pranked them one too many times?  
  
But the Sannin couldn't help but feel a sliver of respect for the boy. Because he never retaliated through violence. He never let them see him sad, or how their words affected him. No, he would cry in his own home or in the forest when he lived on the streets. Why their sensei had ever allowed Naruto to end up on the streets after getting thrown out of the orphanage was something they couldn't understand. The boy had only been five years old when they told him to 'go away.'   
  
The first year in the academy left both Orochimaru and Tsunade speechless. It didn't take long before Orochimaru realized that Naruto couldn't read and ended up failing his tests for that reason alone. It didn't help that the homeroom teacher ordered the boy out of the classroom for merely breathing.   
  
It wasn't fair. He was treated like a disease everywhere he went. It was only natural that Naruto would start to prank people in his class, to cause trouble to be noticed and then ditch when all the tests came around. He couldn't read, he couldn't ask for help, and he didn't have any friends because everyone's parents told them to stay away from him. Their prejudice towards the Kyuubi was projected onto their children who in turn grew to despise Naruto simply because their parents did.

The son of the Yondaime Hokage was treated worse than the criminals in the Akasan.   
  
How could their sensei have let this happen!?  
  
"Why didn't anyone take him in?" Tsunade asked quietly, horrified that her beloved village would treat a mere child in such a way, "He's just a boy..."  
  
"Everyone that knew Minato and Kushina were told to stay away from him. Myself included. At first, it was just to deter and protect him from his parent's enemies, mainly Iwa. But over time..." Jiraiya felt guilt grip his heart. He was just as guilty as the rest of them, "Shikaku, Chouza, and Inoichi asked to adopt him, but they were denied and accused of trying to claim the Jinchuuriki as their own. Nobody cared that those three were Minato's best friends. Kushina's best friend, Uchiha Mikoto, was out of the question. She couldn't even try to ask for custody. The Uchiha clan was suspected to be the instigators of the Kyuubi attack. It wouldn't have been possible."  
  
"And sensei?" She pressed.  
  
"I don't know what reasons he had for doing this." Jiraiya admitted, much to his own shame as he watched Naruto cower behind a dumpster on his birthday, "I've always suspected that Danzo had something to do with it. Sensei always listened to him about these matters. But I do know that Danzo wanted to train him, build him into the weapon he felt the Jinchuuriki was. Sensei wouldn't have it, so he placed Naruto in the academy in the hope that he'd become a shinobi and fall under his command one day. Danzo had the entire civilian sector under his payroll, and if Danzo wanted custody of a boy that was classified as a civilian-"  
  
"He would have been able to take him legally." Tsunade grimaced in disgust. How could something like this be allowed?

 

* * *

 

  
  
The three of them continued to watch as Naruto failed yet another examination because of the bunshin clone he couldn't make.   
  
Orochimaru frowned. He'd noticed it the first time, but written it off. The second time as well since Naruto still couldn't read and most likely failed the written portion. But the way they demanded that the boy had to perfect the bunshin was suspicious.   
  
Naruto was an Uzumaki and a Jinchuuriki to boot. His chakra reserves were ginormous, even for a jounin. Unless he had excellent chakra control, he'd never be able to make a bunshin. Not to mention, Orochimaru himself had never used a single bunshin clone after he graduated the academy. While it was a good technique to learn, it was also useless. Regular bunshin clones couldn't interact or even speak. They were mere illusions meant to divert attention or buy some time if you ended up in a tight spot. But there were easier ways to accomplish that.   
  
Yet, they were fixed on a bunshin...  
  
"They're sabotaging his exams," Orochimaru concluded at last. Tsunade growled in the back of her throat, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at the offending shinobi. She made a point to remember their faces. "The boy clearly has too much chakra."  
  
"It used to be common knowledge that Uzumaki's couldn't make regular bunshin's." Jiraiya explained, "In our time, Uzushio was destroyed and razed to the ground. Uzumaki Kushina, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, was the last person alive from that clan. It became a part of Konoha history that grew into our greatest shame, and because of that, everything about Uzushio was removed from the academy curriculum. Nobody even batted an eye at Naruto's last name. One of the three founding clans of Konoha... and nobody remembered it."  
  
"This is bullshit." The woman scowled. Especially since she was part Uzumaki herself through her grandmother Mito. "What the hell has this village been doing?"  
  
"After Minato died, the world spiraled out of control." Jiraiya spoke softly, "I always thought he was the child of prophecy. That Minato would find the answer to true peace. But then he died, and my life's work died with him. I gave up... Thinking I'd failed."  
  
The image morphed from a classroom to a small swing that hung from a branch in the Academy yard.   
  
They watched, listened with growing trepidation as Mizuki coaxed Naruto into believing that if he stole the Scroll of Sealing, then he'd be able to graduate. After all,  _that was a hidden test_.

It took everything they had not to snort incredulously as Naruto used his, rather ingenious, transformation jutsu and knocked out the Hokage, stole the scroll, and left an entire village in an uproar.  
  
The lack of faith the shinobi of Konoha had in Naruto was horrible. It never even crossed their minds that someone might be using him, everyone immediately assuming the worst.   
  
But then, a small speck of light shone through, as Umino Iruka burst into the clearing in the forest, and came to realize that Naruto was merely doing what he believed people expected him to. He was used.  
  
Iruka wasn't a strong shinobi, they saw, but he was arguably the best one Konoha had. Seeing the man stand in front and protect his student with a ferocity that rivaled a tiger was humbling.   
  
And then came the truth. The truth of why everyone hated the blond boy who only wanted people to see him, to smile at him and not wish to harm him at the same time.   
  
Uzumaki Naruto was _the_ Kyuubi, and the reason the Yondaime Hokage was dead. Or so Naruto himself believed.  
  
However, it was at that moment that the Sannin witnessed the first of many awe-inspiring moments. A moment that defied logic, and brought a smile to all of their faces.   
  
It was difficult not to... especially after seeing Mizuki pummeled into the ground by a mere twelve-year-old boy.   
  
If that wasn't a pathetic end to a shinobi, they didn't know what was.

* * *

 

  
  
Meanwhile, Naruto slipped out of Minato's hospital room. Making sure he didn't wake him up after finally being able to untangle the boy's limbs from his body.   
  
Minato was fast asleep, knocked out by a combination of medication and exhaustion.   
  
However, Naruto didn't let himself think about that. It was high time that he took care of something he should have done a long time ago.   
  
It was time to pay an overdue visit to an old sewer  **rat**. 

* * *

 

  
  
"The man is useless," Orochimaru stated flatly, Jiraiya sweat-dropped and Tsunade rubbed a furious tick-mark on her forehead.  
  
Hatake Kakashi was late.  _Again_.  
  
"They're not learning anything." He continued, "What purpose does he serve if not to guide the genin to grow stronger? All he's done so far is act tardy, inappropriate- through his choice of reading material, and a constant display of favoritism towards the Uchiha."  
  
Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck, "Ah well... He's been through a lot."  
  
"No offense Jiraiya," Tsunade raised a brow, "But that's the worst excuse I've ever heard. Why would sensei ever give this man a genin team? He's clearly unfit for it."  
  
"Agreed." Orochimaru nodded.  
  
"Kakashi has the Sharingan, gifted to him by Obito on his deathbed. Since Sasuke is the last Uchiha and the Sharingan was said to be able to control the Kyuubi... Well, you can probably figure out the rest."  
  
Tsunade grimaced, and Orochimaru frowned ever so slightly. It was an ever-recurring theme with Naruto. Control, contain and neglect. They feared him, a boy that wouldn't hurt a fly but had enough heart to forgive them for it even if they only ever cursed him.   
  
The boy couldn't even escape such treatment in his own genin team. He didn't know it, but they did. They saw the calculating eye of the man when he sparred with the Uchiha boy. The was he stretched his senses to make sure the Kyuubi's chakra wasn't used or even touched. Kakashi was most likely ordered to act this way, to keep a watchful eye on the blond, but this was becoming too much.   
  
Naruto wasn't a ticking time-bomb, but they acted like he was anyway. 

* * *

 

  
  
**_'There's a trap a yard to the right and then one to the left. Spikes up front.'_**  Kurama said, focusing on the nature chakra that coursed through his and Naruto's body. He could feel everything. Every single breeze, the insects on the ground and even the residue chakra from animals that'd passed through not too long ago.   
  
_'Got it. How many do you reckon there'll be?'_  
  
_**'Not many. He doesn't have that big of an organization yet, and he doesn't have the Sharingan. Just go in, snap his neck, and go out. Better hurry before the chibi wakes up, or he'll probably cry for his mommy.'**  _The Fox snorted. He still couldn't accept that the chibi Yondaime was following Naruto around like a stray puppy. Exactly what he'd done with Kushina. Although, Naruto didn't know that. But he did. And that was the only thing that mattered.  
  
Also, it... was kind of hilarious, actually.   
  
The Fox rubbed his paws together. This was enough blackmail material for a lifetime. He'd be able to make Naruto's life miserable without having to feel guilty about it. It would be especially funny when Naruto figured it out, and Kurama could call him out on his idiocy again.   
  
He liked doing that.   
  
Naruto was an idiot.  
  
But he was Kurama's idiot.  
  
_'You talk about him like he's a crybaby. He's not. He's-'_  
  
_**'-A chibi Yondaime who also happens to be a crybaby whenever you're around. The way you throw around those pesky emotions of yours would make anyone cry. And you defend him like you're married to him. You're supposed to be eleven.'**_  
  
Naruto sniffed,  _'I'm going to pretend you never said that.'_  
  
**_'With you, you'll manage to pretend I never did anyway.'_**

_'Don't force me to make it rain on you!'_  
  
_**'You wouldn't dare!'**_  The chakra construct narrowed his eyes into dangerous slits, baring his teeth.  
  
Naruto matched him, and then smirked,  _'Try me.'_  
  
**_'_ _Cocky little brat...'_**  


* * *

 

 

Frankly, Orochimaru was uncomfortable. And the looks he was receiving from his teammates only made it worse.  
  
"I'm sorry," Tsunade held up a hand to pause whatever the hell they had just witnessed, "Did you just give a twelve-year-old boy a hickey?" She asked, voice entirely flat. "Because I could have sworn I just saw you give Sasuke a hickey."  
  
"I have to admit Orochi-teme, that's pretty messed up. I knew it happened... but seeing it is kind of... disturbing." Jiraiya grimaced.   
  
"In case you haven't noticed," Orochimaru spoke evenly, somewhat defensively, "This person is only one version of myself. This isn't actually me. And I'd appreciate it if you kept your pedophilic accusations to yourself as I want nothing to do with whatever this person is, or was."  
  
"Nobody actually mentioned pedophilia," Jiraiya smirked, receiving a small glare from the man and a matching smirk from the woman.   
  
"Still," Tsunade turned back to the second portion of the chunin exams. "Why would you give him that? Or force it on him. Whatever you'd like."  
  
"It was a recurring theme for you to try and get your hands on the Sharingan. Apparently, you became obsessed with jutsus and tried to learn all of the ones that existed. Even going as far as creating your own one in pursuit of immortality. " The white-haired Sannin explained, "You found a way to switch bodies, but you practically mutilated yourself to do it."  
  
"So, I tried to get the Sharingan to aid me with learning techniques, copying them." The snake Sannin concluded. It made sense in a way.  
  
"Yeah, it never worked though. There have only been two successful Sharingan transfers to people who don't come from that clan. Both ended up dead in the end. One a bit sooner than the other."  
  
"Who?" Tsunade inquired. She was a medic after all.  
  
"Shimura Danzo was the reason the Uchiha clan was massacred. He harvested their Kekkei Genkai and transplanted eleven eyes onto his body." Tsunade's jaw promptly hit the floor, "The second one was Kakashi. But he was a genius to start with. Then again, he couldn't turn the eye off, so it rendered him useless if he used it too often."  
  
"Danzo needs to die." Orochimaru clutched his fist, albeit discreetly as nobody saw it. "The man is cancerous."  
  
"I know." Jiraiya frowned, "However..." His teammates looked at him curiously. The Sannin then turned sheepish, scratching the back of his neck, "By the time we're done here. He's probably going to be dead already."  
  
"What."  
  
"Naruto?" Orochimaru speculated.  
  
Jiraiya nodded. "Let me tell you," He couldn't help but chuckle, "Naruto's protective streak for Minato is a mile long and then a couple more. If Danzo as much as upset the boy's clothes, Naruto would rip out his spine with his teeth."  
  
"There's history there." The blond woman stated matter of factually, "He doesn't like the old bastard, does he?"  
  
"That's a gross understatement. The man almost became the Rokudaime Hokage in our time. He took advantage of a moment of weakness that you went through, and almost took the hat. It was just dumb luck that he didn't. Sasuke ended up killing him when the truth about his clan came out."  
  
"Painfully?" She growled. She might not be the Godaime, but damn, she felt defensive about it.  
  
"Well, apparently he developed a technique with the stolen eyes, that allowed him to rewind time for a short moment. You had to kill him eleven times to do it permanently."  
  
Tsunade smirked, "Good." At least the bastard died feeling it. Her only regret was that she couldn't do it herself after what he'd done to Nawaki.

* * *

 

  
  
Naruto watched the disgustingly familiar man walk into the large and dark room. The man walked as if though the world could not touch him. As if he was unreachable.   
  
That  **pissed**  Naruto off.   
  
Danzo had the audacity to act like nothing was wrong. He dared to walk around as if he'd not just tried to kill someone. Tried to murder  _Minato_. Or Nawaki, depending on your perspective.   
  
This man was the cause of so much grief, so much sorrow, and pain.   
  
His mere existence was a crime against nature.  
  
His long black robe dragged itself a little on the floor, and the sound of his wooden cane echoed with each step that he took. Danzo took a seat by the desk that stood in the middle of the room. Leaning the cane against it and then pulled out a scroll and quill.  
  
The man thought himself to be alone. To be safe as his guards stood outside and protected him. Ready to rush to his side if anything was amiss.  
  
Or so he believed.  
  
Naruto's face twisted with anger and barely concealed rage. Danzo angered him, infuriated him. Why such a man was allowed to even exist inside of Konoha was beyond him. How could the Sandaime not see and smell the rot and the stench of death the man carried like a cloak?  
  
He liked Sarutobi Hiruzen. The man was like his grandfather, but as a fellow Kage, Naruto couldn't help but criticise his choices. Perhaps he was so wise that the people he had to guide and protect couldn't understand his logic. Perhaps that's what happened to Naruto in his childhood. Perhaps it was the old man's faith in the village and the good of his people, that ultimately brought about his downfall.  
  
It was ironic, he thought, that it was the man's most trusted friend that brought the village to its knees the first time. The man that manipulated all his puppets so well, that he tangled the threads and broke them all.

But not this time.   
  
Naruto slipped out of the shadows, releasing a small chakra pulse to make Danzo aware of his presence.  
  
Said man instantly spun around in his chair, a kunai slipping out of his sleeve, "What's the meaning of this?" He frowned, a sliver of KI emitting from him. He didn't like being taken by surprise.  
  
Naruto could barely even fell the Killing Intent. It was so weak compared to his own that if he wasn't looking for it, he might have missed it. His blue eyes said nothing. His intentions unreadable and the look on his face blank.  
  
Danzo rose from his seat, steadying himself but remaining calm. He recognized the boy as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. "How did you find this place?" He demanded.  
  
But Naruto didn't answer, he kept watching him. Feeling more and more inclined to stab him and then twist the kunai. He couldn't recall when he'd wanted to kill someone as much as he wanted to kill Danzo.  
  
Perhaps Sasuke, but not quite. Sasuke's case was unique.   
  
"You thought yourself so clever." Naruto finally said, quietly, softly. Danzo frowned, muscles tensing. He didn't know what to make of the situation he'd found himself in, "Who would suspect foul play from an explosive-tag in an area known to be covered in traps? No one."  
  
Danzo's dark eyes widened a mere fraction before they steeled.  
  
"Except me." The boy's blue eyes turned cold as ice. A coldness that was almost tangible. He began to prowl around the room, circling the man who followed him with wary and hard eyes. "Funny thing about being a certified level nine Seal Master," He continued, a strange but terrifying lightness to his voice, "It's one step away from becoming a Grand Seal Master, but I'm sure you knew that."  
  
Danzo's jaw muscles tightened to an almost painful degree.  
  
"I've always been good at seals, you know. Being an Uzumaki and all of that. So I couldn't help but notice how powerful that particular seal was. I did see it, of course." Naruto gestured with his hand, "An explosive-tag strong enough to tear someone to pieces. You don't come across that every day." His eyes locked with the mans, "Do you?"  
  
"What are you trying to say, boy?" Danzo grit his teeth, angry and defensive.  
  
"Say?" He mused aloud, "What am I trying to say... I suppose I want to say that you failed." His head tilted to the side in a rather childish manner, "You slipped up old man. You got caught with your pants down."  
  
"You're speaking nonsense." He growled, "You should know your place, boy!"  
  
Naruto smiled, much to the man's confusion. "My place. Aah, where is my place? Is it here? Or there? Am I a chunin, or a Kage? It gets very confusing."  
  
Danzo didn't understand half the words the seemingly insane boy spoke, but he knew one thing; there was something he'd missed. Something that was glaring him in the face but invisible to him anyway.   
  
"You're a man that justifies his actions by claiming they are for the good of the village. Always for the sake of Konoha. But is it really?" Naruto wondered, "Does killing Senju Nawaki help Konoha? Do enlighten me, because it seems I've missed your point. No? Well, I can't say I'm surprised. You've always had terrible reasons for all the atrocities that you've committed or have yet to commit."  
  
Something heavy settled inside of the man's gut. He didn't know what it was, this feeling, but from the way the boy spoke... 'yet to commit'?  
  
"But I can overlook trying to kill Nawaki, I truly can." He then said, stopping where he'd begun his silent prowl. "But, then you had to go and make it worse for yourself. I mean, if you'd just kept your head down for the next few years, you would have lived so much longer." Naruto let out a long-suffering sigh, ignoring the man's shocked expression.  
  
"You just had to go and put your dick in the Inuzuka kennels, didn't you?" His cold gaze through half-lidded eyes didn't do anything to decrease the sudden alarm that coursed through Danzo's body.   
  
"Who are you?!" Danzo all but spat. His composure was dropping, and the situation was beginning to escalate and lean into a direction he was less than happy about.   
  
A little confused, Naruto tilted his head to the other side, "Weren't you paying attention?" He asked, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Your executioner."  
  
The man adopted a condescending look, "'Executioner.' You can't kill me. You can't even touch me, boy. I'm a village elder and your superior. What you speak of is treason!"  
  
Again, Naruto smiled, "But who's going to find out?"  
  
Danzo clutched his kunai tightly, feeling a sliver of fear take root inside of him.   
  
The boy's smile dropped, and he straightened his back and posture.  
  
"You're such an insignificant rat, that I'd forgotten about you and the dung you keep your hands in. You could have lived for much longer than this, perhaps to even prove me wrong about you..." Naruto took a step forward, "But then you hurt Mina, and I find myself incapable of feeling mercy." He took another step forward, eyes darkening as the cerulean blue turned purple and then red. His pupils slit, and his nails and teeth grew longer, sharper. **"In the name of Uzumaki Naruto, Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure, I sentence you to death. For the crimes that you've committed and for the crimes you have yet to commit. May the shinigami have mercy on your soul, for I will not."**  
  
The boy disappeared before Danzo's widening eyes.   
  
Excruciating pain coursed through him, and then he found his vision darkening and his thoughts leaving him. It was all over so quickly, he didn't even have the time to breathe.  
  
Meanwhile, Naruto stood at the far end of the room, a warm and pulsing heart clutched in his fist.

 

* * *

 

  
Minato woke up feeling colder than he'd fallen asleep as. His bare arm moved to the side, reaching for Naruto, or where he should have been, at least. The boy's eyebrows pulled together in a frown.  
  
He pried his eyes open, realizing that Naruto wasn't there and noting the small tightening of his chest.   
  
But just as he was about to allow the loneliness to embrace him, the window slid open, and Naruto dropped down on the floor. His hair was glistening from a shower, and he smelled like spring.  
  
"Sorry," He said softly, moving closer to the bed and then climbed onto it, "I thought I'd get a shower before you woke up. I was starting to smell."  
  
Minato found himself smiling, a soft and warm humming growing in his chest and stomach, "That's alright." He said, laying back down on his pillow as Naruto followed suit, "Good shower?"  
  
"The best."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've noticed that when you're in a semi-foul mood, it feels really nice to kill someone. Sorry, Danzo, my bro.
> 
> Naruto is a real pacemaker.


	40. Gamatatsu leakage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason for why that one scene is longer than the rest is, well... I love that scene. It's probably my favourite in the whole series. The feeeeeeeelssss!!
> 
> #WeekendUpdates

Naruto stood in front of the bookshelf in Minato's room. As one would expect from a boy who loved to read, it was filled to the brim. There were so many books on so many subjects that one could think the room belonged to a scholar rather than a shinobi.   
  
"Found it?" Minato asked, head sticking out from underneath the blanket on his bed.   
  
Naruto hummed, eyes roaming over the spines of the books and the foot of the scrolls. "Have you read all of these?" He wondered because he was pretty sure he'd never read so many books in his life. He made his clones do most of the paperwork when he was Hokage. So, technically, it wasn't HE who read it. He just got the information from them.   
  
"Of course. It's all my favourites." The boy pushed himself up from the bed, smiling sheepishly at the suddenly sour-looking face on the younger boy. He was aware Naruto didn't like to read, but... still.  
  
"You're eleven." Naruto stated dryly, "And  _these_  are your favourites, right now. When you turn twenty, you'll have to move out of this room because you won't be able to fit in it anymore."  
  
"It's not that bad!"  
  
"'The art of dancing'?" He pulled out the book and showed it to the boy. Said blond scratched the back of his head, "I don't know how that got there."  
  
Naruto flipped it open to a random page, eyeing the instructions and slowly beginning to mimic the moves. It was slow going, and judging by the look on Minato's face; he was doing something wrong. Just as he'd predicted.   
  
"You have the wrong rhythm." Minato suddenly blurted out but slammed a hand over his mouth.  
  
Naruto smirked, and Minato realised he'd been played. " _'I don't know how that got there.'_ , really Mina?" He laughed, watching his friend as he pulled his blanket over his head in embarrassment.  
  
In one corner of the shelf was a book he felt rather nostalgic at seeing, the entry book for level five in fuinjutsu. He pulled it out, turning it to the side, "Found it." He said, "Gimme a minute, and I'll get one of my own."  
  
Minato caught the book his best friend tossed him, a small smile on his face as Naruto left his room.   
  
Naruto was great, always taking care of him. Always so kind and helpful. There wasn't a better friend in the world.  
  
A couple of minutes later Naruto returned, a thick tome in his hands. The older of the blond boy's stared at it, completely speechless. "But you don't even like to read, so what's that!" He pointed incredulously at the thickest book he'd ever seen.   
  
"This, little Mina, is one of my projects." He hopped onto the bed and reached for a pillow, puffing it up against the back of the bed, "I've been working on this for ages now."  
  
Minato stared at the book, trying to fight the urge to snatch it from his friend's hands and dive into it with vigour. Absently, he acknowledged that he might have a serious problem.   
  
"What is it?"   
  
It was hard not to laugh when Minato looked at him with such wonder. His blue eyes were sparkling like precious gemstones.   
  
Oh well, he doubted the boy would understand much of it anyway. He was still only a level five. As such, he patted the spot next to him and felt his eyes widen at how fast Minato scooted up next to him, beaming innocently and practically wagging his tail in excitement. Naruto blinked slowly, moving his arm back to become a little more comfortable as they placed the large book in their lap.  
  
"Don't drool on it." He teasingly warned, receiving a small pouted glare, but it didn't reach his eyes and a smile quickly replaced it.   
  
"Come on!"  
  
"Fine, fine." He flipped it open, and Minato instantly leaned forward, eyes widening as he followed the many intricate lines that were drawn across the paper.   
  
He didn't understand any of it.  
  
But it was amazing.  
  
Incredible.  
  
Extraordinary!  
  
"I have no idea what it says." He said with excitement as Naruto sweat-dropped.  
  
"Didn't you have a book to read?" Naruto asked mildly but received no reply. Minato flipped to the next page, having no idea what he was looking at until suddenly;  
  
"AH! I know that one! It's a chakra ley line." He pointed at one part of a large theory section.   
  
"And why's there a chakra ley line in there?"  
  
"No clue."  
  
Naruto snorted, chuckling before he slipped his arm around Minato and pulled him back from the book. He could feel the protest that was building in his friend, but Naruto beat him to it, "I'll explain it to you. But you have to pay attention, alright?"  
  
If it was even possible, Minato's beaming smile turned up a couple of thousand watts and almost blinded the poor Kage who ended up squinting his eyes on reflex. It was scary how Minato could make Gai's smile look tame. The only thing missing was the pose and the-... spandex...  
  
He was never letting Minato near Gai.  _Dear god,_ **NO!  
**

* * *

  
Tsunade didn't know what to say. Frankly, she was utterly gobsmacked.   
  
The three Sannin saw Naruto summon the great Toad boss, Gamabunta. Only for him to transform the whole summon into the Kyuubi, and then smack the Ichibi silly. Naruto... just defeated a damn bijuu!  
  
"Where the hell is everyone?" Tsunade tried to see if she could pick up on any Konoha shinobi around the forest. But to her own growing irritation, she found none. "There's a damn bijuu attacking the village, and nobody is doing anything aside from a bloody genin!?"  
  
"Agreed. It's highly questionable." Orochimaru crossed his arms over his chest. He had a feeling this was when he'd kill their sensei but refrained from mentioning it.   
  
"Personally, I was occupied with trying to stop three large summons from stomping through Konoha, so I can't speak for anyone else. All I remember is that it was pretty chaotic." Jiraiya could admit that letting a single genin handle the Ichibi was beyond irresponsible. It was just plain stupid.  
  
"Is this where Naruto's gets the villages acknowledgement? You said they wouldn't always hate him, that it changed when Konoha was attacked, and he saved them all." The medic inquired. Defeating a bijuu sure gave the boy her respect. Although, she already knew how insanely strong he was.   
  
"No," The Toad Sage grimaced. Now that he thought about it, he didn't hear anyone praise the kid for his miraculous victory, "At most he gets a pat on the back."  
  
"He defeated a bijuu," Tsunade stated, as if though it wasn't obvious.   
  
"It might have been overshadowed by sensei's death." He speculated, "Doesn't excuse the lack or recognition though. I didn't do anything either, so I can't talk. Then again, I didn't really know him that well at the time."  
  
Tsunade didn't feel it fair, that a boy who fought one of the nine bijuu for the sake of his village, didn't even get recognised for it. Judging by the continuous looks of contempt, he wasn't even acknowledged as the cause for victory.   
  
It felt bitter, seeing that Konoha was capable of treating its own shinobi like this. "He wasn't promoted, was he?" She asked quietly.  
  
"No."  
  
She grit her teeth. Was this why she hated Konoha in this time? Or was it like Jiraiya said; that she was running from her own problems? Perhaps it was both. At least now, she knew that she hated this Konoha. It was a place she'd never want to be a part of.   
  
The Sannin continued to watch, seeing the funeral, the quest to find the Godaime Hokage, the epic failure of a bet Tsunade lost, and the battle with Orochimaru and Kabuto.  
  
"That kid is brilliant," Jiraiya gestured to the grey-haired boy. "You'll be hard-pressed to find a medic like that. I'm not sure when he's born, but having him in the village would be an asset we can't afford to lose. After he got his shit together, he was a pretty decent guy."  
  
"Let me guess, Orochimaru-wannabe?"  
  
Orochimaru himself frowned in a mild offense, "Excuse me? I had nothing to do with this." He raised his chin a little, "However, that version of me obviously had a knack for finding unique people." And wasn't that the truth. The people they'd seen so far was talented. A large group of Kekkei Genkai users that swore loyalty to a batshit crazy scientist.  
  
It was a pity, he felt, that he'd lost his path so completely and utterly. He could see the small strokes of genius in the man's work, but it wasn't built to work flawlessly. At best the shinobi and children he'd seen were prototypes- incomplete and defect. The loyalty they harboured for him had been grown out of fear, not respect. And Orochimaru found that he didn't like that.   
  
Fear was good, but if that were all there was, then you'd find a kunai embedded in your back if you dropped your guard. That wasn't a life worth living. It was barely living at all.

 

* * *

  
  
"This is where everything goes wrong," Jiraiya warned. He watched the two boy's who stood on opposite sides on the giant statues of Konoha's founders. Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara. "That promise he made to Sakura haunted him for many years. Everything he did, he did to keep his promise to her- no matter the cost. While he wanted to protect the first bond he'd ever made to a person he saw as his own brother, that wasn't what drove him so far."  
  
"Then what did?" Orochimaru asked. He knew a missing-nin when he saw one, and Sasuke was a picture-perfect example. Sasuke would only leave again if they brought him back to the village.  
  
"At first Naruto's crush on Sakura was just that, a silly little crush. But over time, it grew into love. But he never acted on it, simply because he knew that she loved Sasuke just as he loved her." His lips pulled into a tired smile, "It wasn't a feeling he could get rid off, so Naruto decided to do whatever he could to see her get her happy ending, even if he didn't get his. That's just who Naruto is. He gives and gives... and when he looks on the verge of crumbling, he reaches inside of himself in search for the next thing he can give away."  
  
Jiraiya took a step forward, closer to the fallen Naruto and Sasuke who limped off from the teammate he'd tried to kill. "He will always prioritise other peoples happiness over his own. It doesn't matter if he's starved and sleeps in a cardboard box. He'd give his box away, all the food he has and the clothes on his back. It took a long time before people realised how much he'd given and how hollow he'd ended up." Jiraiya's brows furrowed, "He may not be my biological son, but he's the closest thing I've ever had."  
  
Minato may have been close to a son in his first life, but he'd not known him for as long as Naruto. Unfortunately, Minato only lived for a decade after Jiraiya took him on as a student, while Naruto grew to be a man and more. Almost five decades worth of history.  
  
"And this time I can proudly say, that I'll never let him fall into the mess he's finally crawled his way out of. This time I'll be there to help him. To be someone he can lean on when he's about to fall."   
  
He watched Naruto in the hospital, bandaged like a mummy, "Uzumaki Naruto grows into a legend, unlike anything the world has ever seen. But the path there is long and hard, more thorns and pitfalls than any other path I've seen." He turned to his silent and observant teammates, eyes burning with resolve and fire, "What you've witnessed so far is nothing. This is merely the introduction, the first phase to set the stage. From here on out... the world breaks."

* * *

  
_"Why..? Why did Gaara have to die like this?"_  
  
Tsunade's chest tightened, feeling something lodge itself in her throat. What they had just witnessed was painful to even watch. Despite how the Suna boy had been instrumental in the attack on Konoha, the budding friendship between the two boys's brought a little hope to them all. Naruto and Gaara needed people who understood them, and the number of individuals who did was few and far between.   
  
_"You're the Kazekage, damn it!"_ He cried, sobbing quietly, until he pressed out his sorrows through his voice, _"You just became the Kazekage!"_  
  
The old woman, Chiyo, sighed, _"Calm yourself, Uzumaki Naruto."_  
  
Naruto spun around and screamed, _"Shut the hell up!"_ Shocking everyone watching, the Sannin included. Even Jiraiya had not witnessed all of these things, he'd heard, but not seen. It didn't help that Naruto rarely cried, or showed how much pain he was in. _"It's your fault! If you goddamned Suna shinobi hadn't put that monster inside of him, this never would have happened! Do you have any idea what kind of burden he carried!?"_ He cried, sending several of them reeling backwards as if slapped across the face. Jiraiya winced at the sight, feeling just as guilty.   
  
_"Damn the Jinchuuriki,"_ Naruto cried, sobbing uncontrollably, he had to get all of his feelings out, all the pain becoming too much to handle. _"You have no right to act like you're better, to label us and use us!"_ He screamed, heartbroken and stricken with grief after losing one of his best friends.  
  
Naruto raised his arm, crying into the sleeve as words began to echo into the darkness around the Sannin; _"I couldn't save Sasuke... I couldn't save Gaara... I trained so hard for three years... and nothing's changed..."_ It was Naruto's thoughts.  
  
Tsunade discreetly swiped a couple of tears away, her heart aching for the boys. Was this how the life of all Jinchuuriki was? This painful and lonely? Was there nothing but pain tied to their names?  
  
Her eyes flickered to the old woman who suddenly began to move towards the red-headed boy. The young and dead Kazekage. She limped a little, injured from her fight with Sasori of the Red Sand. A little awkwardly, she crouched down and placed her hands on the young man's chest. Chiyo frowned, her brows furrowed in concentration before a large pulse of chakra burst out of her hands.   
  
The grass around the group moved like ripples in the ocean, and Tsunade took a step forward in shock, "You- No way! That's impossible!"  
  
_"Hey, what are you doing!?"_ Naruto cried, ready to push her away. Suna had already brought Gaara enough harm, he didn't need more. He took a step forward, to do just that, but found himself unable when Sakura placed a hand on his chest- blocking his path. She slowly turned her head, and Naruto stilled, eyes widening.  
  
_"She's going to bring Gaara back to life!"_  
  
"I've never heard of such a technique," Orochimaru said, watching the woman pump all her chakra into her hands and then into the boy.   
  
"From what I know, it's a technique only she knew," Jiraiya explained, continuing to watch the memory play its course.  
  
Chiyo faulted, her injuries too grave and her chakra too low.   
  
Orochimaru nodded knowingly, "She's too weak."  
  
_"Damn..."_ She cursed, but then she sucked in a sharp breath, following the tanned hands that'd suddenly appeared before her, and landed upon Naruto who's eyes shimmered with old tears, _"You can use my chakra!"_  
  
Her breath shuddered and then she looked down at her old and broken hands, _"Place your hands on top of mine..."_  
  
Naruto didn't argue, and just as he did, the chakra around them spiked like a beacon. The ground trembled, and the grass moved with the pulses of chakra that mimicked a beating heart.   
  
The Sannin watched them with trepidation. Naruto might have given his chakra for Chiyo to use, but it was impossible to filter out his own life-force completely. It might not be a lot, perhaps not even anything significant in the long run, but they all realized that Naruto was giving his own life away as well. It was just another thing he was willing to offer.  
  
So it continued for a long time. They all watched the proceedings in silence, knowing that she'd die once she was finished.  
  
But then she spoke, _"Amidst this Shinobi world created by us foolish old people... I'm glad that a person like you showed up..."_ She spoke quietly, _"The things I did in the past were nothing but mistakes... But... in my last hour, it seems I shall finally be able to do the right thing. The village hidden in the sand... and the village hidden in the leaves."_ Chiyo turned to the heavens, eyes filled with regret, pain, and relief, _"The future is likely to be different from the way things were in our time... Your mysterious power that Kakashi spoke of... That power is likely to alter the future greatly... when you become a Hokage like none before..."_  
  
Jiraiya found himself smiling, brightly, and with pride. Because Naruto did. He truly did become a Hokage like none before him.   
  
Meanwhile, Tsunade allowed herself to watch Sakura closer. A girl Chiyo believed would surpass her. From what she'd seen of Sakura so far, she'd treated Naruto terribly... She wasn't certain she wanted to take her on as her student in the future. Not if she didn't even try to redeem herself.   
  
_"Naruto, this old lady has a favor to ask you... You are the one and only person who is capable of knowing the extent to Gaara's pain... And Gaara knows your pain, too... Please... Help Gaara..."_  
  
Orochimaru watched Naruto close his eyes, reaching out with his chakra that begun to wrap around the Kazekage as Chiyo sank together into a useless heap on the ground. She was dead, just as he'd predicted.   
  
"He changes people." He said, "It's like he reaches out and guides the ones who've lost their way, and brings them onto the right path once more. Is that the true power of Uzumaki Naruto?"  
  
Jiraiya smiled softly, "It's inspiring, isn't it? Whenever I see it happen, I'm always lost for words. He makes the impossible happen, and then he takes it even further. And the best part about it is that he's just being himself. It's not an act to please others, it's what he genuinely feel."  
  
Which begged the question; When did everything spiral out of control?

 

* * *

  
  
Naruto walked up the stairs with a tray. On it was one bowl of porridge, another with miso soup and a third with cooked vegetables. A glass of milk and a piece of candy stood in the top left corner and finished off the dinner.   
  
Minato had fallen asleep again, his body still tired and worn. But he had to eat, or he'd take much longer to grow strong again.   
  
He continued through the corridor, gently pushing the door open, and seeing Minato sleeping with his head buried in the pages of Naruto's project book. He drooled a little, but instead of getting irritated, the boy smiled fondly.   
  
He'd had that blasted book for almost a decade, and he'd spilled coffee, hot chocolate and god knows what on it already. A little drool wouldn't kill anyone. Naruto found it highly amusing that Minato tried to comprehend the book in the first place. While it was a project that he worked on for Kurama's sake, it was also the thing that would give him his SML10, if he ever completed it. He'd been close to fifty years old when he was halfway through the project. At least now he had time and a whole new lifetime ahead of him. And the fact that he could get a real certificate for his troubles only encouraged him to make sure he completed it before he hit twenty. When it was done, it would look so damn awesome, he could barely wait.  
  
Saving Uzushio from its destruction sure had its merit in more than one way.   
  
Naruto placed the tray on the bedside table and sighed. He eyed the boy, debating if he should just wake him up or try to untangle him from the book himself. In the end, he settled for the later and argued that Minato needed his rest. But then he realized Minato had to eat anyway... So, naturally, he began to poke the boy.   
  
Said blond frowned, making an unconscious effort to bat the annoying finger away as it poked his cheek, nose, and head.   
  
Suddenly it stopped, and a satisfied smile settled on his lips. But then something wet found its way into his ear, and he shot up with a startled yelp.   
  
Laughter greeted the drowsy boy, and it took a moment, but then he saw Naruto's shiny finger and blushed. He'd received a _wet-willy_.   
  
"Naru..." He mourned his sleep, rubbing his ear as he tried to get the wetness out.  
  
"You wouldn't wake up!" Naruto argued, chuckling as he wiped his tears of mirth, "What would you have me do? Pour a bucket of water on you while you drool on my work?"  
  
Minato opened his mouth to argue, pointing down at the book and stated, "I did no- Oh... I'm sorry!" He bowed deeply, slamming his head into the book and making Naruto wince at the slight echo that occurred. "I'll fix it! I promise!"  
  
But Naruto waved it off, "Calm down, Mina. It's just saliva. It'll dry, and then that'd be that." He clapped his hands, making the boy look up, startled.  
  
"Dinner." He stated, holding up his fingers, "Porridge, veggies, miso soup, milk, and candy. Chop chop, finish it all!"  
  
Naruto all but shoved the tray into the boy's hands, the cutlery rattling.   
  
Minato stared at it owlishly, mouth slightly agape. "You cooked me dinner?"  
  
His only reply was a roll of the eyes and a 'duh.'  
  
"Thank you,"  
  
The boy smiled, reaching out and ruffling Minato's hair, "Anytime."  


* * *

  
  
  
Meanwhile, on Mount Myoboku, a small yellow Toad picked his nose and ate some sweets. A blue butterfly flew around his head, settling on his nose as he began to giggle.   
  
But then, something happened, something that wasn't meant to happen, and was something he'd _never_ forget...  
  
"Gamatatsu!" Gamakichi yelled, "Don't piss in the pond!"  
  
"Whoopsies..."  


* * *

  
  
  
"What's happening?" Orochimaru asked, confused.  
  
Jiraiya, for all his knowledge about the Toads and the pond, had no freaking idea what just happened.   
  
"Wait," Tsunade said slowly, pointing at a strange silhouette taking shape, "Is that- OH GOD, GROSS! WHAT THE HELL, JIRAIYA!?"  
  
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW THAT GOT THERE!?"  
  
"I DON'T KNOW!? OH MY GOD, ITS A TOAD VAGINA! GET IT AWAY! MY EYES!!"  
  
"Huh," Orochimaru said, faintly amused, "I never knew it looked like that."  
  
"STOP BEING FASCINATED!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no regrets. *High fives Gamatatsu*


	41. A Broken World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh, I'm alive. I'm a digital game developer student at a university, and we've got projects each week, and this week was INTENSE. I'm just happy I'm sane at this point. I finally finished it as well, which means I can write again. Yay! 
> 
> I've been writing on this chapter for days now, and it's finally edited. Thank god... I'm so over it. 
> 
> Anyway! This chapter is loaded with angst as the Sannin take a look at what drove Naruto and Jiraiya to finally travel back in time. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Orochimaru had seen a lot of things over the years he'd been alive. He'd seen the birth of children, animals and the growth of nature. He'd seen the death of all three, and the murder of them as well. He'd seen the worst the world had to offer.

Or so he thought.

The ground pulsed in a massive shockwave, quaking underneath the feet of the shinobi who trembled and screamed in terror. Two small planet sized spheres rose up into the sky and scorched the air, promising destruction and annihilation as the bijudama's detonated above them all, and a bright light consumed them.

The destruction was beyond words. _'Destruction'_ wasn't a word that suited such apocalyptic devastation.

Even the sound of it was horrifying. It didn't sound like explosions, but pockets of air imploding on itself. Like  _'gongs'_  of doom. It was abnormal.  _Wrong_.  **Horrifying.**

Jiraiya had already seen these memories. Had already experienced it- even if he'd been bound to a wheelchair at the time. He'd spent his time on Mount Myoboku and in the pond as Naruto fought on the battlefield. He'd never felt so useless in his life, so scared and just... hopeless.

His friends had fallen eerily silent since Pein levelled the village, and Nagato broke his spine to leave him a cripple. Paralyzed... from the neck down.

Seeing Naruto finally recognised as someone, the hero that he was, felt bitter. They had to lose everything and everyone even to acknowledge that he existed, and it still felt messed up. Naruto's victory and miraculous conversation with Nagato left them in awe, but the reality stood as it did; the entire village was gone. And without Naruto, so would the people have been.

This wasn't the world they fought so hard for. This wasn't the life they wanted. How could they have let this happen...? How could anyone have wished this upon the world?

The white-haired Sannin turned discreetly to the side, to see his teammates and their reactions.

Tsunade was pale as death itself, her eyes filled with unshed tears and a little unfocused.

Orochimaru's face betrayed no emotion, aside from his yellow eyes that looked like a stormy sea. Jiraiya had never seen his friends like that before. It made him a little uncomfortable... but the world he came from held no cause for celebration. So he understood them. The future was a hellhole without equal.

They continued to watch in silence. Seeing the conclusion with the Juubi, Kaguya, and the tree- along with the aftermath.  _The result._

Nobody uttered a word. Couldn't. Because what did you say to something like that?

Once the Fourth Great Shinobi War was over, the world was left broken and bleeding.

Even if the war was won, the devastation to the land left hundreds of thousands of people dead and homeless. The earth was destroyed, and the food was scarce, nothing would grow. Not to mention clean water and the countless lakes that'd been ripped from the ground.

The great villages remained, somehow, but once they all returned home, the consequences of the war showed itself. There was a bleeding wound in all of the villages. Like a hollow void that echoed through the empty streets and deserted buildings.

They'd won the war... but there were few to celebrate it. In truth, most tried to forget it. It hurt, seeing how much they had lost, and how little was left to love. So many people died that the memorial stones were not enough to display all of their names. Instead, a giant statue was built in their honour. It was a statue that stood on a bed of flowers for decades.

All the way to the end.

 

* * *

 

Tsunade couldn't help but question how much the world could take before it was left utterly broken and beyond repair. Or how much a single man could endure before he buckled underneath the pressure and became consumed by despair.

Seeing Naruto stand on top of the massive walls of Konoha, right after coming home from Suna after another Kage summit, and seeing his beloved village covered in ashes and bodies... razed to the ground once more through nothing short of unspeakable  _madness_.

It left Tsunade in tears, and she covered her mouth with her hand. What happened this time? Was it not over yet?  
  
Orochimaru watched it all grimly. The inkling of a feeling of what had happened.  
  
The Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, famous for his words and unwavering resolve and strength, dropped to his knees and screamed, clutching his head as if though it was about to split open. Around him he sensed chakra that used to belong to someone precious, someone he loved, but now he felt nothing but pain.

He was alone. Having sent his escorts ahead of him so that they could go home to their families a little earlier, only to send them to their deaths. Now it was just him, and the bodies of his fallen friends.

After all he had suffered, all he'd endured... all was for nothing. There was not a chakra signature anywhere. Not even animals in the surrounding forests.

Naruto was catatonic when Shima and Fukasaku found him. They had done what they could, saved as many as they had the means to- but it was barely a dozen. Many of whom crumbled underneath the crushing anguish that fought to consume them.

It was barely a comfort for Naruto to hear that Jiraiya was alive. The man was already withering away from his previous injuries and paralysed body.

He had never felt so much pain before. So filled with despair and soul-twisting agony, that he could barely breathe.

So he did the only thing a man in his position could have; something desperate.

Someone had to tell him that this was fixable... or he'd lose his mind.

_"Edo Tensei,"_ He whispered to the dead.

 

* * *

 

Naruto sat on the back porch of his home, eyes fixed upon the famous Hokage monument and the absence of three faces; Minato's, Tsunade's and his own.

He had time, he tried to tell himself. But deep down the fear was there- always gnawing at his mind, and reminding him that soon... _soon_  it would all be gone again.

Soon... he could be the last one standing like before. Or perhaps this time he could just kill himself and let it all be? He was just so tired of it all... Because had he not suffered enough already? Could he live through losing everything again? Losing Minato whom he'd finally found a sliver of happiness with?

His throat tightened painfully. Minato couldn't die... He just couldn't. If he did...

Naruto shook his head, dispelling the horrible images of his burnt body. It wasn't too long ago that he believed himself to know what true fear was like; and then Minato had almost died, and he'd found that he was wrong.

True fear was losing someone you loved. Someone in your life that you felt that you couldn't live without anymore. It wasn't intentional, but Naruto couldn't let go of Minato. He was past that point.

It almost made him laugh, how ridiculously easy it had been to get attached to the boy. He was always so bright and happy. Always shining with happiness and optimism. So when his own world was veiled by darkness, such light was rare and precious.

He knew he was selfish. Being around Minato would do nothing but endanger him in the long run. People around him tended to die or get stuck in between the madness that was his life and  _then_  die.

But Naruto couldn't bring himself to let him go. Minato's smile warmed him and soothed his aching soul. His kindness healed his broken bones and scared flesh.

So why was he sitting alone on the back porch and making himself depressed? He questioned himself. How stupid.

The old Kage pushed himself up on his feet, cast one last glance towards the Hokage monument, and entered the house.

It was quiet when the Sannin wasn't around. When Jiraiya was home, it was always some kind of shift in the atmosphere. But when Naruto was alone, it just felt cold. So it was a good thing that Naruto wasn't alone.

No, upstairs was his cure for sadness and worry. All it took was holding Minato, bathing in his warmth, and he felt himself stronger than before. It was so simple, so innocent. And Naruto loved it.

He moved up the stairs, taking two steps at the same time and quickly reached the second floor.

It was dark, but that didn't concern him. Instead, he moved towards the door where light peaked out from underneath it. Quietly, Naruto pushed the door open, not sure if Minato was asleep or reading again.

A mess of blond hair was spread over a white pillow on the bed. A blanket in the same colour hid its owner from view, and Naruto smiled fondly. He entered the room, closing the door behind him quietly, making sure Minato didn't wake up.

Naruto watched his friends chest rise and fall, a peaceful smile on his lips.

If the reward for fighting goddesses and madmen were this; seeing Minato asleep with a smile on his face, then Naruto was prepared to bend fate and paint the shinigami pink.

He took a step forward, trailing the back of his fingers across Minato's cheek.

He only had to look at Minato once to find his lost courage.

 

* * *

 

 

_"Why?"_ Because that was the only thing he found himself capable of asking. His voice was hollow and empty, dead- like the five Kages behind him. They stood in silence, a burning hatred in all of their eyes, and if it weren't for the madness in Sasuke's- the Uchiha would have felt his life already forfeited.

_"Doesn't it feel great?"_  Sasuke held out his hands, closing his eyes and smiling to the smog-filled sky,  _"The world is pure now. Clean. We can start fresh. We can finally build something great in our image... A world where children don't have to kill their parents and clans."_

_"Build what...? For whom...?"_  Naruto took a step forward, face wet with tears as he clutched his fists and screamed,  _"You've killed everyone! You've destroyed everything!"_

Sasuke opened his eyes once more, tilting his head to the side and appeared to be genuinely confused, _"But they were filthy. Corrupt."_ He said.

Naruto's breath shuddered, barely believing what he'd just heard,  _"You killed your wife and daughter,"_ He shook his head, throat tightening as a phantom rock settled itself by his Adam's apple,  _"You're a disease... you've always been a disease... The world was never the problem, you were...!"_

The man with long raven-coloured hair slowly let his face morph to that of rage. He took a step forward, just as the Kage's did the same- ready to gut the bastard that'd taken their legacy away. _"If anyone is a disease, it's you! You, and that abomination in your stomach! It's all your fault that my clan was slaughtered! If you'd never been born, then the seal on that bitch would never have been broken!"_ Naruto and Minato took several steps forward, grief-stricken fury burning in their eyes,  _"If your pathetic excuse of a father had used his fucking brain, then Obito would never have turned his back on my clan and killed them!"_

At that moment, all the love for Sasuke that remained inside of Naruto- withered away. Like dry and dead leaves dropping from the trees, giving way to winter.

The man in front of him was all but one thing;  _"You're a monster."_

And so; the beginning of the end began.

 

* * *

 

It was difficult to watch Sasuke and Naruto fight, the later of which were aided by the five deceased Kage's.

Unlike the many fights they'd partaken in before, this one was to the death. There would only be one person leaving this ash-filled land alive.

During all the battles the Sannin had watched Naruto participate in, it had never been like this. This time it was just anger, grief and pain. There was no underlying wish to save anyone- only to end the other.

Naruto fought like never before. Merciless and far less graceful than usual. He was so angry and in so much pain that he cried through the entire encounter.

Towards the end, Sasuke was exhausted. Battling five immortal Kage's and a man that was arguably the most powerful man in the world wasn't easy. Quite the opposite.

The outcome was decided before the fight even began, and as predicted, Sasuke lost.

It was with a final clash the two concluded their battle. Sasuke had missed Naruto's heart with the Kusanagi liked he done once before, and Naruto who, this time, had deadly precision- struck true.

Sasuke's eyes spoke of disbelief and anger when he realised he was a dead man and that he'd lost. It was unfathomable that he even could.

Naruto crushed his heart with his bare hand, ripping it out of his body in a final fit of rage. With elongated and sharp nails, the pulsing muscle came out in tatters.

It was over... just as Naruto's world was.

The man fell to his knees just as Sasuke's body dropped into a useless heap on the ground. The wound in his chest from the Kusanagi was already healing, but his soul wasn't.

What was he supposed to do now?

Everything was gone.

_Everything!_

 

* * *

 

Naruto sat in the ruins of his village. The last man living in a once great nation of shinobi.

_"I failed..."_ He said, voice void of anything but pain and bottomless regret _. "The village I was entrusted with... I failed everyone."_

But that wasn't fair. There wasn't any way of knowing that Sasuke would snap like a twig and go on a village-wide rampage. It wasn't even clear why he'd done it in the first place. Sasuke had appeared happy enough when Naruto had left, leaving Naruto to believe he was fine.

Hashirama placed a hand on the man's shoulder, squeezing down just a little _, "You are a great deal many things, but a failure is not one of them. Had it been any of us, I doubt the outcome would have been different. Unless you've learned how to foretell the future, then I fear this was unavoidable and unstoppable."_

Naruto's head hung, and he slumped his shoulders in crushing defeat.

_"What am I supposed to do now? There's nothing left. Nobody left..."_

" _Naruto_..." Tsunade closed her eyes regretfully.

Minato watched his son, feeling more and more guilty for leaving him so early in his life. Naruto's loneliness was almost tangible with how heavy it was.

_"Time may have changed you Naruto_ ," Hiruzen said calmly,  _"But you are still Uzumaki Naruto, the most unpredictable shinobi to have ever lived. It's not like you to give up. How do you know that there's nothing left that you can do? Have you tried?"_

_"Look around yourself Jiji,"_  Naruto raised his head, eyes moving to the Hokage monument that was all but a faceless mountainside once more.  _"You may not feel the scent of death in the air... but I do. I can even taste it. Somewhere, in these ruins, are all my friends. All my subordinates and their families. All the people who made Konoha my home. Konoha is gone... in all the ways that matter."_ He took a single step forward, away from Hashirama's hold,  _"I was once told that it's not the buildings or the village itself that makes it worth protecting, but the people inside of it. But there are none anymore..."  
  
"If I had just realised that I was fighting Obito back then... Perhaps none of this would have happened. So many things could have been prevented and stopped."_Minato looked around them, eyes avoiding to look at the bodies on the ground. _"Fate is cruel..."_ And it was. _  
  
"There are always things we wish we could have stopped if given the opportunity."_ Hashirama stated,  _"However, I'm not sure what to tell you Naruto. I never even thought this was possible..."_ Because losing Konoha felt impossible. Unimaginable.  
  
Naruto slowly sank to the ground, no longer able to keep himself standing under the pressure of the world. For the first time in his life, he actually felt the weight of his burden. How he'd managed to stand tall and unwavering for so long- he didn't know.   
  
 _"I wish..."_  Naruto whispered, a traitorous tear rolling down his cheek,  _"I wish I could go back in time... and fix everything. Save you; dad, and Jiji, and baa-chan... everyone. I could stop all of it. Kill Madara and Zetsu before they even had the time to mobilize their forces."_  He then laughed humorlessly,  _"I'm the strongest I've ever been, but now I have no reason to be. I'm useless."_  
  
Tsunade opened her mouth to protest because if there was one thing Naruto wasn't; then it was useless. However...  
  
 _"I don't know about time travel. But I know one or two things about space-time fuinjutsu."_ Tobirama spoke up for the first time. He'd been strangely quiet and contemplating. The Nidaime had the Rokudaime's attention instantly. The desperation in his eyes spoke volumes but also showed them that Naruto wasn't ready to give up yet.  _"I recall that the Uzumaki clan had hidden chambers in Uzushio where they kept some of their more delicate and unique seals. Space-time seals were never popular since it's dangerous if you miscalculate. It's very unforgiving if you make a mistake."  
  
"Space-time seals..."_Naruto murmured, realizing something he hadn't before.The man raised his hand, dragged his fingers over his lips as his gaze focused on the ground. He was deep in thought, brain-storming like he usually did before he pulled off something miraculously outrageous or ingenious.  _"Obito jumped through dimensions."_ He started, earning everyone's attention,  _"So we know that different dimensions exist. You two can move through a small time-pocket with the Hiraishin."_ He absently gestured to the Nidaime and the Yondaime.  _"So.. why can't I use the time-pocket theory and go through a dimension?"_  
  
 _"It's a sound theory if it wasn't for the fact that dimensions exist in the hundreds of thousands."_ Tobirama explained,  _"You'd need to pinpoint your own dimension and open it. If you manage to do that, you'll theoretically be able to go through it at any space in time you wish. However, the process of finding it is difficult enough to make it impossible."_  
  
Tsunade promptly snorted,  _"Yeah, right. Tell that brat something is impossible, and he'll show you fifteen ways why it's not."_

_**'I know which one we're in.'**_  Kurama cut in, and Naruto's lips parted in shock,  _ **'I can still feel the old man's chakra from this dimension. It would be easy enough to keep you locked into it if you decide to jump into a black hole and cruise through time and space.'**_  
  
 _"It's possible?"_  Naruto spoke aloud in disbelief, confusing the ones listening.  _"You can do that Kurama? I just need to find a way to go through?"  
  
 **'Sure. But I'm only doing it if you get my other half back. I feel pathetic in this size.'**  
  
"Deal!"_Naruto all but shouted. He spun around, zeroing in on the ruined Hokage building, _"Space-time..."_ He spoke quietly, murmuring as if thought he was talking to his own thoughts, _"Space-time. I need the Hiraishin formula, and paper...and ink... **lots** of ink."  
_  
The five Kage watched him leave, threading through the debris without even looking at it.  _  
_  
His focus was terrifying. _  
  
"He's already onto something."_ Tsunade realised, and then she grinned- despite herself,  _"I knew it."  
  
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you," _Hiruzen began, _"But I'd like to see if he can do it or not."_  
  
Smirks slowly grew onto the faces of the most powerful shinobi Konoha had ever produced.   
  
It wasn't over yet.  
  
Uzumaki Naruto had yet to admit defeat.  
  


* * *

  
  
_"Do you have everything you want to bring?"_  Naruto asked, six months later.  
  
Jiraiya smiled weakly,  _"Everything worth anything."_ The man was beyond excited, but his weak and fragile body didn't respond to him. Also, he didn't want to get disappointed if it didn't work. He'd save the celebration until the arrival proved fruitful.  
  
 _"I don't know where we'll end up... in what space in time. Kurama says he can pinpoint and lock us to our dimension, but the seal we made won't be able to drop us off on a specific date or year. The best we've got is a rough estimate. I tried to get as close to my birth as possible. I want to stop that whole disaster if I can."_  Naruto explained, reaching for his many scrolls on the desk that had been set up in the room. He sealed them up in a much larger scroll that he carried on his back. _"I have no idea what will happen to our bodies when we get there. If we'll stay the way we are or if you'll return to your body and I end up in mom again.. I don't know. It's a gamble at this point."_  
  
 _"If you don't end up where you should, I'll take care of everything."_  Jiraiya said,  _"Do you have the location seal on you? Just in case we end up in a different place."_  
  
Naruto tapped his wrist,  _"Got it. It's keyed into our chakra, so if we're apart, it will go off."_  
  
 _"Good, good..."_  He hoped,  _prayed_ that it would work. If he could get his legs back, his strength, then he'd be forever grateful. Words would not be enough to explain what that would mean to him.  
  
The Kage pushed the man's wheelchair to the side, leaning forward as he picked the Sannin up in his arms, and placed him in the middle of the large seal on the floor.  _"Ready?"_  He asked.  
  
 _"Do it."_  
  
And so it began; a long and tedious sequence of hand signs designed and built to guide and focus the right amount of chakra to the seal underneath him. It was delicate and somewhat volatile. Each hand sign activated one section on the seal. If he made a mistake, they'd most likely turn into minced meat rather than time-travelers.   
  
The seal began to glow, one section at a time. More and more chakra was pumped into the seal, and then, before long, there was enough chakra in the seal to leave a crater the size of Konoha behind.  
  
A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and temple, his expression set in terrifying concentration.   
  
And then, suddenly, he stopped.  
  
The chakra around them went completely still, and then... it sucked them in. The sound reminded the Sannin of when you pulled the plug from a bathtub filled with water. Strange and a little alarming.  
  
The two men were swallowed by the intricate seal painted on the floor, and as they were, the images disappeared before the Sannin.   
  
Everything went dark.  
  
However, it wasn't over.  
  
A dim light fought its way through the darkness, and when it did, a familiar ceiling greeted them all.  
  
Silence reigned for a long moment, and then, _"It worked...!"_ The familiar sound of Jiraiya's voice confirmed.   
  
The image changed again, blurring into a sight of trees and grass.   
  
A hand slammed into a nearby tree, nails digging into the stem. A boy of barely eight or nine greeted them, and a fire of untold strength burning within his eyes.   
  
Indeed... Uzumaki Naruto had yet to give up.


	42. The beginning of a new Legend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd be able to update another chapter before this, but I was too tired, and I slept the entire day yesterday.  
> ༼ノಠل͟ಠ༽ノ ︵ ┻━┻

The Sannin broke the surface of the pond with a gasp. Despite it being water, none of them were wet. They swam to the edge and heaved themselves up and out of the pond.

Tsunade was silent, quiet as the night. So many things were going through her head that she couldn't focus on one single thing. In short, Senju Tsunade was overwhelmed.

Orochimaru wasn't much different. There were questions, but mostly just... a strange ache in his heart. He'd never felt that before. But he knew why it was there. It wasn't so much what happened to the world, but what happened to him, and what he did.

Orochimaru never wanted to become such a man again. While he was different, perhaps even a little strange at times, he wasn't a missing-nin or a man who would have toyed with the lives of orphans. He was an orphan himself. All children with such an upbringing held a sort of understanding for one another.

Indeed, the things he did were clearly wrong. But the question was why? Orochimaru wasn't a man that didn't like not knowing.

"Now you know." Jiraiya suddenly spoke up, eyes tired and worn. The man looked decades older for just a moment, but then he promptly glared at his teammates, "If you speak of this to anyone, even the dead, I will seal your memories, and at worst- I'll kill you. I don't have time to deal with anything aside from my mission. And if you endanger it, you  _will_  face the consequences."

In truth, Jiraiya expected them to feel a little offended-  _at least_.

So, when the two of them smiled gently, it threw the time-traveler for a loop. For one, Orochimaru never smiled.

"I'm not going to let you and Naruto do this alone," Tsunade said, taking a step forward, and placed a hand on his shoulder. It looked a little funny since Jiraiya was so tall. "I would never forgive myself if I didn't try to make the world a better place with all that I've seen. I have questions, a lot of them, but I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not going to be the person I became."

"And let's face it," Orochimaru raised a single brow, "You clearly need someone with a bit of brain to accomplish this."

A retort rose to the tip of Jiraiya's tongue, purely on instinct, but when he thought about it... Orochimaru wasn't  _exactly_  wrong. And while Naruto was a Kage in disguise, he could be a right knucklehead at times, and the memories they'd just witnessed merely confirmed that.

Jiraiya had to begrudgingly admit that Orochimaru was a fiercely intelligent man, and Tsunade was a medic without equal. At least for now. Having them on his side would be invaluable.

"I'd feel insulted if it wasn't true," Jiraiya said with a grateful smile. He wasn't angry, or afraid. Because if Tsunade and Orochimaru decided to help him, then he felt like he could take on the world. "This team," He started after a moment, "It broke apart and crumbled... destroyed beyond repair. And I don't want that to happen again." The Toad Sage looked sad, eyes moving between his friends, "The world came between us, but we never fought to change that. We just let it happen. We gave up. The famous Sannin became nothing more than three shinobi who were powerful and had once been a team. We didn't deserve 'Legendary,' because at best; we were a legendary failure. An example of what not to do."

Tsunade nodded tightly, "So we change it. We know what happened to us when we abandoned our team. The world wasn't kind to us, and we lost our way. All of us. I don't want to do that again. It's enough to see what happened the first time around, and I'd personally not experience it if I have a choice."

"We have a lot of work to do if we plan to make the world a better place then it ended up as." Orochimaru shoved his hands into his pockets, a contemplating look on his face. "And you have a new book series to write." The man leveled Jiraiya with a meaningful look.

The white-haired man blinked slowly, confused.

The medics lips formed an 'o,' "I think it's an excellent idea." Tsunade grinned, "' _The Uzumaki Naruto chronicles, part one,'_ Written by Jiraiya of the Sannin, and edited by Senju Tsunade. And then ' _The Uzumaki Naruto chronicles, part two_ ,' written by Orochimaru of the Sannin, and edited by Senju Tsunade! We'll be rich!" She all but squealed.

The two men stared at her for a long moment, then at each other.

"I mean," Jiraiya said after a while with a shrug, "It's not a bad idea. I've already got the Icha Icha series for the next five decades completed." He quickly rose his hands in defense, "And I know what you think about it," Jiraiya hurriedly added when Tsunade clutched her fist, "But it's popular, and it gave me a nice income. It's still part of me."

The blond woman let out a defeated sigh, "Fine. Just keep the peeping to a minimum... or when I'm not around."

Jiraiya grinned, raising his hand in a peace-sign as she grimaced.

"It would seem," Orochimaru said, "That I was correct in my assessment regarding Naruto's potential. He'll make a good Kage once again."

" _If_  he accepts it." The Toad Sage sighed and sat down on a small toad statue, "I have no idea if he wants to be Hokage again. Naruto was hailed as the best one we've ever had. But he sees it as a personal failure, its destruction." He rubbed his eyes tiredly, "And he admires Minato just as much as he did before, if not more. Knowing him-"

"-He'd step aside if it meant Minato could achieve his dream of being Hokage," Orochimaru said. He felt he could predict a lot of Naruto's actions now. The boy wasn't nearly as complicated as he first appeared. But no less intriguing. Now that he knew what Naruto had already achieved, he found himself eagerly anticipating the man's next incredible feat.

And Naruto was definitely going to be his Hokage when this was all over. He didn't care who he had to bribe into it. Not that he would admit he had anything to do with it, of course. He had some pride after all. However, now that he knew,  _understood_ \- nobody else was even close to standing as Naruto's equal.

Naruto was their Hokage, even if he no longer had the title.

And unbeknownst to him, Tsunade felt the same as she trailed her fingertips over her grandfathers necklace. A necklace Nawaki gave back to her the moment he woke up from his concussion.

The only explanation she'd received was that he wasn't ready yet. And then he'd given it back to her.

Nawaki wasn't as dumb as he made it seem at times. He knew he would have died if it wasn't for Minato's quick thinking and the incredible luck that Naruto was there. Not to mention, Minato almost died in his stead.

The boy had found that he had a lot of things to reevaluate before he was prepared to put on his chunin vest again.  


* * *

 

"Where do we start?" Tsunade asked as the three of them were sitting on a small plot of grass outside of the Toad's temple. It was safest to talk in the summoning dimension, rather than in the village. Zetsu, while he currently had no reason to be suspicious about the Sannin, was a sly little bastard. The strange creature was able to travel anywhere, practically undetected. You couldn't be too safe with these things.   
  
Jiraiya contemplated the question for a while, but then he found that the plan that he and Naruto had previously made was still the best course of action. "We focus on Dan. I'm not sure when he died the first time. I was out of the village at the time, and you refused to talk about it. It was a topic that became taboo for us, so I don't know. I have a rough three-month window where I know it happens."  
  
Tsunade nodded, accepting the information for what it was. Judging by the way she'd acted in that life, she didn't doubt for a moment that she was close-lipped with anything and everything that caused her to leave the village in the first place.   
  
"I believe," Orochimaru began, a thoughtful expression on his face, "That our answer to that question is far more obvious and straightforward than we give it credit for."  
  
"You've got an idea?"  
  
The man nodded, "Due to Naruto's intervention at the Academy, the place is highly understaffed. Dan is excellent with history, I believe, and Nawaki has an impeccable aim with kunai and shuriken."  
  
Tsunade's eyes widened.  
  
_That was perfect!_  Putting Dan and Nawaki in the Academy would force them to stay in the village, and then they wouldn't have to worry about the two of them while they fixed other things.   
  
"We still need to convince them to accept the positions. Along with convincing sensei that they're good candidates for the job." Jiraiya reminded.   
  
"Actually," Tsunade smiled a little, "I don't think that's going to be difficult at all."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Nawaki needs a break from missions, he stated so himself, and bringing him back to his roots will do him good. I think he'll be happy to accept the position." Her smile grew wider, "Dan's dream is to be Hokage,"  
  
Orochimaru raised and unimpressed brow. **_As if._**  
  
"And if I talk to him and recommend the job to him as a different path to making Hokage, he might do it." She speculated. If there were two people she knew, it was Dan and Nawaki. Despite how much she didn't like to think about it- the two of them were a little naive. Dan's dream was grand and carried with a noble heart, but it was impossible for him. His mentality was admirable and fit for a Kage, but his physical prowess wasn't up to par with other Kages.   
  
The mindset was critical, but so was the strength. Dan only had one of them, and it wasn't enough. If a noble cause- and heart were all a Kage needed, then half the village could be one.   
  
No, they were rare for a reason. 

"Then I think that's what we should do." Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "There's a certain way things has to be done. We can't attract unwanted attention, and Zetsu is the main reason for that. However, if sensei finds out, he'll demand to know all that we do, and that can't happen."  
  
He then sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "I respect sensei, but I'm going to side with something Naruto said a long time ago; ' _He was a great man, and his intentions were good, but even Nagato and Obito had good intentions._ ' and I'm inclined to agree."  
  
Tsunade's lips pulled to a thin line. She didn't like to think about their sensei, practically their father figure, in such a way. But the future told no lies and denying it would be foolish at this point. Their sensei failed to protect the Yondaime's legacy, and that caused Naruto decades worth of suffering. The Sandaime Hokage couldn't know... not if they wanted this to work.   
  
"Indeed," Orochimaru nodded his head once, "We're on our own. The fewer people who know, the better it is. If people start running around and try to change their own fates, then our knowledge of the future will turn useless, and we'll lose our advantage. We cannot risk bringing more into this."  
  
"I've done the best that I could with what I've had to work with. As you know, we managed to save Uzushio, and that has already changed the way things will play out. And Arashi-sama is aware of Naruto's and my status, and he's protecting it as well as the seals we've made. We have a strong ally in him. Should we need it; the Uzumaki will help us. No questions asked."  
  
"And Naruto, what is he doing at the moment?"  
  
"Aside from turning Danzo into pork-chops? Not much. There isn't much he can do due to his status and age. However," Jiraiya smirked slightly, "He can move around undetected, and as you'll come to realize when we head back; he's a master of deception. There will be no chance that Danzo's death will be traced back to him. He's just too good at what he does."  
  
"And he's protecting the chibi Yondaime." Tsunade smiled mischievously. Now that she understood the boy better, his actions towards Minato made a whole lot more sense. And judging by what she'd seen of his life; the Rokudaime Hokage was a man that prioritized the happiness of everyone ahead of himself. From a psychological standpoint- Naruto was bound to latch onto someone sooner or later. It just so happened that that person was Minato- his own father in another life.  
  
"And you're not opposed of this?" Orochimaru couldn't help but ask. Personally, he didn't give a toss. And by the somewhat alarming and lecherous smile on Tsunade's lips, neither did she. He decided that he didn't want to go further into that expression of hers. It freaked him out a little.  
  
"If Naruto finds happiness, then I don't care who it's with. If someone deserves to feel love and be loved, then it's him. Be it far from me to deny him if it comes to that. He'll question himself enough as it is, so he doesn't need our negative input if there is any." Jiraiya felt a smile tug at his lips at his teammate's expressions. They didn't seem to care if Minato and Naruto were more or less family. "From what I know, Naruto doesn't see him as anything but a friend anyway. His father died when he was born, and he admired the man for what he did and who he was. The Yondaime and this Minato aren't the same people. And I believe Naruto will never be able to view him as such. I'm sure there will come a time when the three of us will have to remind him of that; because at the rate things are going- Minato will fall in love with him. He's already following him around like he did with Kushina back in my day."  
  
"Interesting," Tsunade's eyes sparkled with mischief and interest. "I'm looking forward to seeing how this will play out."  
  
"You're welcome to write the romance sections of my novels." Orochimaru found himself grimacing, "I'm not a romantic person."  
  
"Deal!"  
  
"Can I write the smut?" Jiraiya grinned, rubbing his hands together.  
  
"Do whatever you want..."  


* * *

  
  
  
The door rang, and Naruto practically tumbled down the staircase. The disguised Kage ran up to the door, pulled it open, and grinned from ear to ear.   
  
"Jiji!" He called happily.   
  
The middle-aged man smiled fondly. It was difficult not to when Naruto was around. The boy brought a smile to his lips. However, the man was there for a reason- but that didn't mean he had to interrogate the kid like a suspect, even if he was one.   
  
"Ah, Naruto-kun. Jiraiya isn't at home, I take it?"  
  
"Nope, he's out somewhere with Baachan and Oro. I dunno when he's supposed to be back. Sometimes later today probably." He stepped to the side, allowing the man to enter their house, "Do you want some tea? I was going to make Mina something to eat again."  
  
"Please." He entered the house, pushed his shoes off, and followed Naruto into the kitchen, "How is Minato-kun? His injuries were quite grave I hear."  
  
Naruto grimaced and nodded, "I used that chakra." He admitted as Hiruzen frowned and took a seat at the table, "He's around me so much that he's built up a fair amount of immunity to the potency of it. He's being conditioned to it, and that's why I could use it to heal him. Otherwise, he'd be dead." And then he added before the Hokage could question him; "He wasn't in any state to see what happened. Mina still thinks I have a Kekkei Genkai."  
  
It wasn't an ideal situation since Hiruzen preferred the boy not using it at all, but to save his friend's life... He could let that one slide.  
  
"And where is he now?" He inquired curiously, allowing his gaze to move around the room.  
  
"He's taking a bath." The boy placed a warm kettle and a cup on the table. "Kurama healed him, but that type of healing isn't healthy, so his body is still sore and weak. It's going to take at least another week before he's strong enough to get back to training and then another for missions. I panicked, and did what I thought would work..."  
  
"I'm not criticizing your choices, Naruto-kun." The man said gently, "I just want you to be careful. I'm certain you're aware how important you are to Konoha. It also helps to protect you that nobody knows what you carry."  
  
"I'm aware, Hokage-sama." He nodded gravely, "I have no intentions of telling anyone. I know how Jinchuuriki's are treated around the world. I'd rather not subject myself to that if I can avoid it."  
  
It was sad, how intelligent the boy was, Hiruzen thought. He was so young, yet he'd seen more than some veterans in the village.   
  
"As long as you're aware, I have nothing to say. You've handled yourself marvelously so far, and I have every bit of faith that you'll continue to do so."  
  
Naruto smiled, "Thanks, Jiji. I know it can be scary... especially after seeing what we can do, but it's not something I default to if things get hard. I rely on my own strength, and Kurama prefers to nap anyway. He doesn't care much about human affairs." The blond boy then chuckled, pouring himself a cup of tea, and then another one for Minato, "Honestly, he's more of a sarcastic narrator of my life. He laughs when I do something stupid, warns me if I get in over my head, and gets me out of trouble when I mess up. Not to mention scolds me."  
  
While it was alarming how close the boy was with his bijuu, the man couldn't help but feel a little relieved at the same time. Naruto had a partner inside of him, in every sense of the word. He just had to make a bit of a conscious effort to try and imagine the bijuu as every but one.   
  
The sound of footsteps on the stairs drew their attention away from their conversation.   
  
Minato walked down slowly, feet dragging. His hair was wet from his bath, and his eyes were a little droopy. In one of his hands, he carried the blanket to his bed as it dragged a little on the ground.   
  
It took quite a while for the boy to register the presence of the Hokage, but when he did, he bowed politely, too tired to feel embarrassed, "Hokage-sama."  
  
"It's good to see you own your feet Minato-kun." The man smiled kindly, "Are you feeling better?"  
  
"A little bit." But then he yawned, "But I'm still a bit tired."  
  
The two shinobi by the table smiled knowingly.  
  
"You should go lay down on the sofa, and I'll get you some food," Naruto said.  
  
"'Kay." And with that one word, Minato walked into the living room, blanket dragging on the floor behind him, dressed in pajamas, and a rather impressive yawn splitting his face.   
  
"Sorry," Naruto opened up the fridge, "He doesn't sleep very well. Only in intervals, and only when I'm around."  
  
The Hokage frowned a little. He didn't know that. "How so?"  
  
Naruto grimaced, pulling out a left-over portion from dinner. "I don't know why he only sleeps in intervals, but at least I know why I have to be around when he does." The boy heated the food, and placed it on a tray, gesturing for the man to follow him into the living room. Hiruzen dutifully followed, curiosity guiding him.  
  
On the sofa, Minato was already asleep, curled up in his blanket as Naruto placed his food on the table. "Mina remembers how much those burns hurt, and he dreams about them." He finally explained grimly, noting the tight nod of the man's head, "It doesn't last for very long. Only a couple of seconds, but if I'm not there, it can go on for several minutes. So I watch him when he sleeps, either reading a book or working on my fuinjutsu." Naruto then moved to sit behind the sleeping boy, pulling him into his lap with practiced ease. Minato didn't protest, merely curled himself into his arms like a frozen animal.  
  
As fate would have it, at that moment, Minato paled and groaned in pain, his muscles starting to spasm.   
  
Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly rose to his feet, taking two large steps forward and knelt down before the two boys. He was worried, never having seen something like it before. And it only made it worse that it was an eleven-year-old boy who had to go through it. But to his own amazement, Naruto didn't seem worried about the boy whose eyes were spilling over with tears of pain.  
  
No, instead he watched the young chunin press his forehead to Minato's, "Do you remember when we put itching-powder in the ANBU's laundry?" He asked softly, gently.   
  
Hiruzen deadpanned because  _of course_  the two of them were the reason for that damn disaster. His ANBU guard was scratching his groin for weeks and never understood why it itched so damn much.   
  
"You said that you didn't want to take the blame for anything... and if we got caught, you'd deny everything. But if it worked, you wanted half the credit, _at least_."  
  
Minato's small spasms stopped, and he pressed himself into Naruto's neck. Desperately clinging to his friend as he continued to sleep, but not before smiling innocently.  
  
Naruto looked up at the man sadly, tiredly, "It's been like this ever since we got back to Konoha. I can't leave him, or he'll get another episode like  _that_. It was just a couple of hours ago I finally managed to sneak off and take a shower from after the mission. There's usually a ten to a twenty-minute interval, so I had some time. But often, I just leave a clone if I have to go to the bathroom or make him food." He ran his hand over the boy's back, "I don't want him to get those things when I'm not here to help him through them."  
  
Hiruzen placed his hands on their heads, "That's very kind of you Naruto-kun. I'm sure Minato-kun is very thankful. When was it you two left the hospital?" He asked discreetly, certain the boy wouldn't look into it.  
  
Naruto already knew why the Sandaime was there. He knew the moment he'd opened the door and found him standing there. The man was aware that Danzo was dead, and they were looking for his murderer. But it just so happened, that Naruto mastered the art of lying and deceiving a long time ago.   
  
"Not too long ago." He frowned thoughtfully, but then he smiled as he felt Minato stir and slowly pry his eyes open.  
  
"Naru?" The blond boy whispered.  
  
"The one and only." He grinned brightly, "Hey, do you remember when we left the hospital earlier?" His hold tightened slightly.  
  
"Hmm? At one o'clock, I think." Minato closed his eyes again, never noticing Hiruzen by his side as he nuzzled into his best friends arms once more, and drifted off to sleep.   
  
The time-traveler inwardly smirked. He knew for a fact that they left at twelve, and not at one. It added another layer to his fabricated alibi, although Minato had no idea he'd helped him with it. It was a good thing that Minato was a bit drowsy and unfocused whenever he woke up. That played in Naruto's favor this time.  
  
And with that, Hiruzen felt a weight fall off his shoulders because that meant that Naruto couldn't have been with Danzo at the time of his death. He'd been with Minato, holding him just like this, and protecting him from his nightmares.   
  
"I won't disturb you any longer." The middle-aged Hokage patted Minato's head gently, "I believe it would be best to leave it to you to take care of him. He seems to feel better around you." He smiled, rising to his feet.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want something to eat while you're here?" Naruto asked- because he might as well, "I made some food when we got back from the hospital."  
  
"There's no need for that Naruto-kun. I still have some paperwork to finish before the day's over. I just wanted to see if I could rope Jiraiya into doing some D-ranks. Babysitting suits him," He grinned, a little too happily.   
  
Naruto grinned right back, "I'll send a clone when he gets back. I'm sure he'd be happy about getting a new mission so soon."  
  
"You do that. Until then."  The man smiled brightly before leaving.  
  
The man turned boy heard the door to the house open and close, and he couldn't quite suppress the feral smirk on his lips as he held Minato closer, "Checkmate, Warhawk."  
   
Sarutobi Hiruzen left Uzumaki Naruto and Namikaze Minato a happier man. The elders suspicious proved to be unfounded, and now he had proof. He wouldn't allow them to pin the blame of their old friend's murder on a pair of innocent young boys.   
  
He wouldn't allow it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter; TIME-SKIP! It's time for little Mina and Naru to grow taller and a little older ♡ 
> 
> WILL THERE FINALLY BE SOME DOKIDOKI!? ♡-♡


	43. White Lies and Crushing Apes

Minato felt undecided. On the one hand, it was a little exciting, but on the other hand... the  _much_  bigger part of him; felt quite uncomfortable with the situation. After all, old habits die hard. This specific habit, of feeling like someone was always having your back no matter what was something Minato sorely missed.

He'd turned sixteen almost four months ago, and as a present, Naruto surprised him with the jounin exams. Naturally, they both passed with flying colors and with a rather large margin compared to most other candidates, but it was a little bittersweet.

He was aware that Naruto could have taken the exams a long time ago, but stuck to chunin because of him. And Minato might have... you know...  _delayed_  the jounin exams a year or two because he wanted to study his  _fuinjutsu_. Obviously, that was complete bullshit. He was ready at the age of fourteen, and he had a feeling Naruto knew that and decided that he finally couldn't push it up any longer.

Anyway, since the day he made jounin, he'd not seen Naruto. The two of them were sent on missions back to back, and at best, they would get home when the other left. They always managed to miss each other, and if rumors had it- then Naruto was running more and more missions that leaned closer to ANBU than regular jounin.

Which was why Minato sat with a form in his hands, completely filled out and prepared. The only thing missing was a signature.  _The_  signature.

He'd been so excited when he requested the partnership form from the Hokage, that he'd completely forgotten that it took time to process the application and motion it through the jounin commander... and that he had to actually  _ask_  Naruto about it first.

However, with the missions he was going on, if the rumor-mill in the jounin lounge was anything to believe, then Naruto was already on his way to making ANBU.

And Minato didn't want to hold him back anymore.

Jiraiya said he was silly to even think that he was holding his best friend back, but that didn't change the self-conscious part of him that kept insisting that he was dragging Naruto down.

He was strong, he knew that, and so did everyone else. Ever since he mastered the Hiraishin, he'd seen his self-proclaimed moniker pop up in random places, and he'd been positively giddy about it.

Still...

The teenager read the form once again. A document he'd memorized by heart at this point.

"You've been staring at that for hours Minato-kun!" Mitarashi Sayuki pouted. She was a little older than him, and the sister of one of Konoha's biggest flirts - Mitarashi Ryouga. The man slept around more than he didn't, and he'd already knocked up God knows how many women.

However,  _thankfully_ , Ryouga wasn't attracted to men... like Sayuki. And for whatever reason, Sayuki had been sent on practically all the missions Minato went on. If he didn't imagine it, he felt a conspiracy in the brew.

And more often than not, when Sayuki was around, she'd cling to his arm and demand his attention at all times.

Add to that; he'd found himself distinctly disliking her. The reason was simple; Naruto brushed her off like an annoying fly, and she hated being ignored or shown that the world didn't revolve around her, so she  _loathed_  Naruto, and she didn't mind telling Minato whenever she heard of him. So he'd made it a point to not mention his best friend around her, or he'd have to endure him being badmouthed.  That's something he wouldn't stand for.

Add insult to injury, Sayuki was trying to get him into bed. Call him paranoid, but when a woman spontaneously sneak into a man's tent because she's ' _cold_ ,' he has good reason to be wary and uncomfortable around her. And he  _really_  didn't like all the damn  _touching!_  Only Naruto could do that! Naruto was gentle and warm, and Sayuki just reminded him of an annoying ape.

The mere thought of them together made him cringe and shudder. And imagining Sayuki with Naruto had him glaring at everything in the vicinity. Because it was obvious enough that she only hated him because he'd brushed her off.

Now, people might say that Minato had a protective streak a mile long regarding Naruto, but everyone who knew them knew that that wasn't true.

It was  **way**  longer.

So much so, in fact, that he had a habit of veering off people-  **women** \- who got a little  _too_  close to his blond friend who was completely  _oblivious_  to the attempts on his virtue.

So, naturally, Naruto was in dire need of Minato's constant, vigilant, loyal,  _desperate_ , ferocious,  **protection,**  from all things female.

**At all times.**

_Naturally_.

"So I have." He allowed, deciding he'd rather read his form one more time than talking to his temporary teammate.

"Here, let me see!" She reached for it, but Minato snatched it out of her reach with a frown.

"Leave him alone Sayuki," Hamada sighed, rubbing his forehead. His fuse was growing shorter and shorter these days, and Sayuki wasn't making it better, "It's none of your business, and if it's a private document, which it is, then it's  _definitely_  none of your business."

The black haired woman pouted, "Don't be so stingy! Hey, Minato-kun, do you want to go on a date when we get back to the village?"

"I'm busy," he said simply, earning a smirk from his old friend and current captain, and a glare from the woman.

"Are you delaying it?" Hamada asked, ignoring Sayuki and gestured for the paper in the blond teenager's hand.

The young man sighed, "I promised myself that when I made jounin, I'd do it, but it's been four months, and I haven't even seen him  _once_." Minato ran a hand through his unruly blond locks, "And apparently he's been going on ANBU missions. I don't want to hold him back."

"Ah," Hamada recalled, "Taketa said he's around TI a lot lately. Apparently, there's a bunch of newly discovered roots that needed some extra  _convincing_. But yeah, he's practically ANBU at this point. At the very least he's scouted by them."

"Who?" Sayuki asked, confused and feeling left out of the conversation.

Their captain rolled his eyes, "Who do you think?"

She frowned, remaining silent for a moment before she grimaced, "The  _Uzumaki_? What about  _him_?"

"That  _Uzumaki_  happens to be my best friend! I'd appreciate it if you kept your poor attitude to yourself, Mitarashi." Minato finally shot back. While he usually didn't react, mostly pretending he didn't hear anything at all, he couldn't help himself anymore.

He had Naruto abstinence. Sue him.

"He's done nothing that would justify you being so rude to him. Just knock it off."

"Guys," Hamada spoke mildly, right before she was about to retort, "No fighting or I'll report it to the Hokage, and you'll lose ten percent of your salary."

If Minato didn't know better than he would have continued anyway- since he hardly needed the money. His time of team seven had made him practically rich. The ten daily D-ranks Naruto did were enough for a whole A-ranked mission. You could survive a month with that. Add that to thirty days a month, and you had money for almost three years worth of living in just a month.

However, he didn't like to argue. And he'd rather stare at his form than talking to Sayuki and get irritated again.

Frankly, he just wanted to see Naruto.

 

* * *

 

"Why am I doing this again?" Naruto asked, dropping down on the sofa next to Orochimaru in exhaustion. "Being Hokage didn't suck as much as being some pseudo-ANBU. The bastards don't even pay me more than the average jounin."

Orochimaru, a man that wasn't all that recognisable anymore, merely grabbed one of the pillows on his side and handed it to the blond. Naruto took it without hesitation and propped it up behind him as he closed his eyes to rest.

"The sacrifices we make for a better world, no?"

"The world can damn well wait until Monday," Naruto grumbled.

A small smile tugged at the Sannin's lips, Naruto's snarky comments never grew old. He dropped his pen onto the new draft for his book and then ran his hands over his side-cuts and up into his ponytail.

It was a change he'd done soon after learning about Naruto and Jiraiya. But it was also a way for him to distance himself from the man he became the first time around. He didn't want to be like that and changing how he looked felt like a good start.

"Minato's coming home soon. Either today or tomorrow." Because he knew that would lift Naruto's spirit.

And it did, as he snapped his eyes open so fast nobody would have seen him move even if they tried.

"Mina's going to be here?" He practically whispered, feeling his heart beat a little faster at the prospect of finally seeing him again. It felt like ages ago. Four whole  _months_!

"Jiraiya requested a vacation for the two of you, preferably aligned so you could meet each other once in a while." Orochimaru drawled, not really interested. Although, if you looked closely, he had a small smile on his face that told people otherwise.

"Today?" Naruto repeated,  _just_  to be sure.

"Or tomorrow." The Sannin confirmed, picking up his pen again, and continued to write.

The former Kage practically jumped off the sofa and made his way up the stairs and into his room. He threw his clothes off, grabbed one of the old and used towels from his previous showers, and headed to the bathroom.

Maybe he could surprise him by the gate?

 

* * *

 

The moment Minato sat foot inside of the village, he was prepared to flee for his life. But he wasn't fast enough,  _ironically_ , as Sayuki took hold of his arm and effectively triggered his irritation once again.

She leaned forward, pouted her lips while displaying a fair amount of cleavage, "Minato-kun-"

"Mina!" A voice came from the distance- disrupting whatever ploy Sayuki had cooked up this time. The woman scowled, knowing full well who  _that_  was. There was only one person in the entire village who was allowed to call Minato for 'Mina.'

Minato could identify that melodious and slightly baritone voice  _anywhere_.

The irritation disappeared in an instant, and Minato's heart began to beat a little quicker as his lips pulled into a bright smile, "Naru!" He called out, not yet having locked down on his exact location.

Naruto dropped down on the street, and his long golden hair danced around his broad shoulders. It was long, well past his shoulder blades. His cerulean eyes shone with joy, and Minato found himself smiling even wider. Finally, they could see each other again!

He made to take a step forward, to meet his friend halfway, but he found himself unable.

Sayuki tightened her hold of his arm, glaring at the newly arrived blond as he approached.

Meanwhile, Naruto didn't even notice her. Instead, he made his way to Minato, threw one arm around his shoulders and grinned, "Rumor has it," He leaned a little closer, feeling happier than he had for almost four months, "That you and I have a vacation at the same time."

"Really?" Minato looked up, something warm and ticklish bubbling inside of him at the prospect of spending a whole vacation with his best friend. Naruto had grown quite fast the year prior and was now half a head taller than him. Perhaps it was only fair when Naruto was so much shorter than him before.

The taller of the two smiled, nodded and tapped his friend's chest, "Really." He confirmed.

"Together-"

"Minato-kun," Sayuki pulled at his arm, drawing his attention away and onto her once again.

Yet again, that familiar irritation he'd become so used to caused a minor grimace to cement itself on his face, and he was about to snatch his arm away when-

"Who're you?" Naruto asked intelligently, and the woman gaped disbelievingly. He frowned, looking down at the way she held onto his arm, and the way Minato was trying to pull it out of her hand.

That wouldn't do. No, that wouldn't do at all...

He moved his hand down Minato back, almost like a caress, and coated it with chakra at the same time.

Minato felt the sudden warmth of his best friends chakra and the way it moved over his skin like soft kisses- leaving goosebumps behind until it finally reached Sayuki's hand. It flared momentarily, and the woman pulled her hand back with a hiss of pain.

He'd never understood how Naruto did that. He could use his chakra as a weapon, to burn people. But to him, Naruto's chakra was bright and warm, like the rays of the sun. There wasn't a better feeling in the world than when Naruto cloaked him in it. If felt so good, almost blissful at times. So it went over his head how it could travel over his body, leaving him so comfortable and strong, and at the same time cause someone else pain.

"What the hell was that!?" She hissed again, clutching her hand as it began to show minor symptoms of chakra burns.

" _That_ ," Naruto said, slipping his arm around Minato's waist as he fixed the woman with a firm and pointed look, "was a warning. Keep your hands to yourself, or you'll lose them."

Too shocked to even respond, she watched them speechlessly as Naruto steered the blond teenager away and rounded a corner of a nearby building.

As they did, Naruto stopped and began to examine the jounin, "Did she hurt you anywhere?"

Minato smiled fondly, happiness surging inside of him, "I'm fine Naru, thank you." Seeing him again was enough to make him want to throw his arms around him. It didn't feel right to be apart from him.

"Who was she?"

"Mitarashi Sayuki, she's a new jounin." He sighed lightly. The mere mention of her name tired him out.

And judging by the lack of face or remembrance to her name, Naruto concluded that she was dead by the time he became a genin, maybe even earlier. From the Kyuubi attack most likely.

"I don't like her." Naruto decided, causing Minato to sweat-drop, but he didn't disagree. He didn't like her either.

However.

The shorter of the two took a step forward, slipping his arms around the toned chest of his friend as he buried his face in his vest and closed his eyes- accompanied by a soft smile. The urge to hold him was too great, so he couldn't help himself.

Startled, Naruto tensed momentarily, but then he followed- arms moving around the shorter teenager as he closed his eyes to savour the feeling. 

"I've missed you Naru..."

"I've missed you too Mina." He placed one of his hands on Minato's head, tugging a little at the golden locks. A gesture that spoke of amusement, familiarity, and fondness. Something they'd done ever since they met way back when.

Not being any worse, Minato trailed his hand over Naruto's back until he felt the silky locks in his hand, tugged gently, and then smiled up at him.

"Let's go home."

"Yeah, let's go home."

 

* * *

 

While Minato felt like the happiest person alive, he couldn't help but feel a little sad as well. It felt like so long ago that he'd done this. He'd missed it a lot, and now that he was with him again, he realised how much he'd missed out on.

He was currently resting his head on Naruto's lap, the latter of which read a book on advanced fuinjutsu and chakra manipulation. He was still working on that big project of his and had yet to earn his Grand Seal Master title. But Minato had no doubt that he would.

The blond teenager, who had wanted to take a nap at first, ended up watching his best friend as he moved his gaze over each sentence in the book.

It was hypnotizing. Most people would have stabbed themselves in boredom, but not him. No, he could lay there and watch him for days. He'd missed talking to him about everything and anything. To wake up to breakfast that Naruto cooked, or come home to dinner the same way.

However, he found that the thing he'd missed the most was merely watching him. The crinkles by his eyes when he smiled, the pearly white teeth, his long blond hair and the warmth he emitted wherever he went.

And sleeping next to him, but who was keeping track of these things?

"Are you hungry?" Naruto suddenly asked.

And he was... a little bit. But he didn't want to move, so he lied, "I'm all right." And thus his stomach promptly rumbled and called him out on his lie.

He scratched his chin sheepishly, "A little bit, maybe?"

Naruto chuckled, closing his book after placing a bookmark between the pages, "Stomachs don't do that if they're 'a little hungry.' They do that when they're starving." He informed with not a little amusement.

"But I'm comfortable." Minato whined lightly, teasingly, "I can starve for a while longer." Because that was a healthy set of priorities.

"Aaaah," Naruto sighed dramatically, "And here I was planning to take you out to that new Yakiniku restaurant that opened last month. _Bummer._ "

Minato's eyes widened, "I mean, I could  _eat_ , you know."

The younger teenager laughed, ruffling Minato's hair, "I bet you can."

The two of them smiled, a weight slipping off their shoulders as it was confirmed that nothing was different just because they'd been away from each other for four months.

It was a third of a whole year. Way too long in other words.

"Hey, Naru..." Minato felt his smile slipping, making Naruto's follow. There wouldn't be a better opportunity than this.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking lately, well, actually... I've been thinking about it for years now." He gestured slightly with his hand, a sign he was nervous and unsure of what he should say.

Naruto knew all of his little quirks, and that was one of them.  
  
However, it was never anything bad, as Minato tended to worry about things. But he was getting better at it.

"That's a long time thinking about something." He allowed, tugging a few of Minato's golden strands.

A small, almost embarrassed smile formed on his friend's pink lips, "We've been together for a long time. On a team that is, and now that we're on neither team seven nor with sensei, we get slotted into random setups."

Naruto nodded, encouraging him to continue.

Minato swallowed thickly, scratching his head as a small blush dusted his cheeks, "I was kinda.. you know, it'd be nice and all. I like being your teammate, and I feel safe and vigorous with you... and those things." He scratched his scalp a little harder, frustrated at himself for butchering his simple question so terribly.

"I have twenty percent of the question; I just need the remaining eighty. Go on, you can do it." He teased, poking his cheek as it puffed up a little.

Fine. Do it. Go for it. Now or never. NOW!

"Whatwouldyousayaboutpartneringwithme?!"

Naruto was quiet for a few moments, blinking slowly, and then he squinted his eyes, "Say that again?" Because that sounded like a whole lot of nothing.

The blond bit his lip, closing his eyes to await the possible rejection, "What would you say... about partnering up... with me...?"

To be fair, Minato expected one of two things; a bone crushing hug and a loud 'yes!' Or a point-blank refusal.

Not... silence.

And when he finally mustered the courage to open his eyes, he found himself at a loss.

Naruto appeared to look shocked, perhaps even a little confused. And that  _hurt_.

"Why?" Because why would Minato want to partner up with him? A partnership was a career-long commitment, a promise.

Minato pushed himself up, placing one hand on the other side of Naruto's legs so he could lock him in close.

"I've wanted to be your partner for years." He admitted but made sure he drove his point across. For all Naruto's strengths- he could be right dense sometimes. "There's nobody I feel stronger with. When I'm with you, I feel invincible, like  _we're_  invincible. I like how I feel when you've got my back. Because I know that you do, and I never have to doubt it. Now there's nothing like that anymore, not in any team I've had since we made jounin. You compliment me in combat, you encourage me outside of it, and you're my best friend." He felt a small, sad smile form on his face, "And I _miss_ you. Maybe I'm childish for clinging to the days when it was just you and me and sensei. But I want that again, with _you_."

Naruto felt tears burn behind his eyes, but they refused to surface, mostly due to Naruto's own urging.

He wasn't opposed to the idea. If anything, he wanted to say yes immediately, but he knew what partnerships were like. A career-long commitment between a certain amount of people that held no secrets from each other and spared no details and... didn't lie.

And if there was one thing he didn't want to do to Minato, then it was to outright lie to him. He'd spun the truth often enough but would rarely lie. He didn't like liars, and he made it a point to practice what he preached. Even if he couldn't go into specifics and had to be vague.

Naruto reached out his hand, cupping Minato's left cheek, "Mina," He said softly. "I have secrets." Because he had to compromise. He had to give Minato  _something_. And he didn't want to hurt him. He wanted to be his partner just as much; it was just that he was scared of telling him the truth. Showing him what he was, and what he could really do. Not to mention, the damn time-travel. That was a can of worms he wasn't going to poke with a bloody stick even if someone paid him.

Minato listened, hopeful and a little scared he'd refuse him. He'd _die_ if that happened.

"When you partner with someone, you don't have secrets... and I don't want to lie to you. But I have things I can't tell anyone." He moved his thumb back and forth across Minato's cheek, focusing his own thoughts and unconsciously calming Minato down as he closed his eyes to savor the touch, "I want to tell you... But I can't. Not just because I'm not allowed, I've broken the rules before, and I'm not scared of doing it again... but because it can hurt you. And I don't want to hurt you."  
  
Minato's eyes opened once again, surprise flickering to life inside of them.  
  
Was that what it was? Was that the only reason for his hesitance? Secrets?

"That's fine," Minato whispered, moving a little closer to him, clinging desperately at the small lifeline he'd been given, "I want to be your partner, no matter what. And if you have secrets, it's enough that I know that you do. So you don't have to tell me... but please," The blond teenager swallowed thickly, leaning into Naruto's hand, "Don't push me away. Please."

Naruto's throat tightened, and he felt his concerns and worries shatter and scatter to the wind.

He moved before he even acknowledged that he'd made his decision. Arguably the biggest one he'd ever make. Because it impacted  _his_  life and not Konoha. This was for him, _and only him_.

Minato felt himself getting pulled into a warm and protective embrace, and Naruto nuzzled into the side of his neck. His hot breath tickling his tanned skin as a flutter of something moved around his heart.

"If you still want me to be your partner, even if I can't tell you everything... then I accept."

Minato's breath shuddered, barely believing and comprehending what that would mean. What it _meant_. But when he did, his eyes widened to impossible levels before he pushed himself forward with his legs, making them topple over, and causing Naruto to yelp in surprise.

Perhaps he would regret that condition one day, but right now, Minato didn't care. Instead, he held his best friend in a crushing hug, barely able to keep the tears of joy away from his eyes as his heart beat wildly.

Partner... Naruto was _his_ partner...!

"I won't disappoint you!" Minato promised, his fingers digging into Naruto's vest.

"Baka... it's the other way around." And for Naruto, it truly was. Minato didn't know he was a Jinchuuriki, and he dreaded the day he'd find out.

But even so, joy and warmth pooled in his stomach as he lay on the ground with Minato on top of him. The latter of which clung so desperately to him that he couldn't help but smile.  
  
"You won't regret it?" He asked, just to be sure.  
  
Minato looked up, the brightest smile Naruto had ever seen spread across his face. His chest warmed comfortably. He looked so happy. So it couldn't possibly be the wrong choice to accept his request.  
  
" _Never._ "  
  
Naruto raised his hand, taking hold of a few strands of Minato's blond hair. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I didn't mean to. I just don't want you to think I'm keeping things from you because I want to. It wouldn't be fair if you found out when there was no going back."  
  
Minato shook his head, his smile turning soft and gentle as he took Naruto's hand with his own, "I'm happy you're my partner. And no matter what happens, I always will be."  
  
And Naruto found himself believing every word.


	44. It's Official

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina's all grown up *wipes tears*

"Hey, Mina?"

"Hmm?" Minato turned his smile from the sky towards his friend, the two of them were sitting on the back porch, basking in the sunlight and quietly celebrating the partnership they'd just agreed upon.

"I want to give you something." He said, pulling out a small scroll from a pocket in his green vest.

"What is it?" He asked, curiously looking at the small red scroll.

"It's a seal I made a while back. Around the time I got back from my first jounin mission. It's an emergency teleportation seal." Naruto unraveled the scroll, moving a little closer as Minato leaned in to get a closer look. "If it's placed on you, and you trigger the seal with your chakra, it will summon me. It's like the Hiraishin- I used that as the core principle for the matrix. It only works once, and then you'll have to reapply it. But it would put my mind at ease because I don't want to be somewhere I can't reach you if you need my help."

Minato felt something warm spread through his chest, realizing that Naruto made it when they were apart- because he was worried about  _him_.

"Can I put it on you as well?"

Naruto blinked, a little surprised, but then he nodded, "Of course. If you want to."

"Of course I do!" Minato chuckled, "Why wouldn't I?"

The taller of the two shrugged slightly, "I figured since you already have the Hiraishin, you wouldn't need it."

"This is different, though, isn't it? I can't feel when someone needs my help unless they throw my kunai."

"Alright then." That was fair enough, "Can I put it on?"

"Go ahead."

Naruto moved a little closer, reaching for Minato's chin and turned him a little to the side so that he could see his profile. He gently ran one of his fingers over the back of his ear, coating it with chakra and mentally visualized how he wanted the chakra to weave the seal together. Unlike most seals, this one wasn't made of ink- but chakra from the individual that was going to be summoned if needed.

It would disappear when it was used, but it was easy enough to reapply it. If the user added a containment element to the seal, then the chakra he pushed into it would stay there until it was used.

Minato closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of Naruto's warm and somewhat addicting chakra. It was impossible not to be amazed by the feeling when it was so warm and rich. He liked how it felt as if someone caressed him gently. When his chakra moved across his arm, or back, it felt like it was Naruto's warm hand.

"Your chakra feels nice..." Minato murmured, leaning into the touch.

"So do yours." Naruto smiled faintly, a little embarrassed by the sudden compliment. He couldn't recall when Minato started liking his chakra so much. Perhaps after the accident with the explosion-tag. Most people thought it felt physically heavy, or burning hot. In rare cases with people who sensed it, they thought it felt warm and bright. Although, that wasn't so strange when Kurama's natural affinity was fire. Add Naruto's own wind affinity to the mix, and you'd get a raging inferno of heat, bright light, and compressed air. Besides that, Naruto was an Uzumaki; people famous for their wild and untamed chakra.

In short, he'd be surprised if his chakra didn't feel the way it did.

But Minato's chakra was different. Clean. It was more like a fresh but strong summer wind with a slightly wild touch to it. And ever since he signed the Fox contract, his chakra felt a little more playful as well.

Personally, Naruto liked the way it felt in contrast to his. They were very different but complimented one another quite well.

Minato had to withhold a small protest when Naruto withdrew his hand, and the sensation disappeared.

"All done." He said, raising one of his brows in amusement when Minato pouted-  _just a bit_.

He opened his eyes, quickly averting them when he realized he didn't hide his reaction quite as well as he'd hoped. "My turn." He said immediately.

Much to his surprise, Naruto laid down on his lap, grinning mischievously, and Minato felt another impossible tug at the corner of his lips. There was no point trying not to smile- it wouldn't work with his best friend. So he lightly flicked his tanned forehead, "Stop cooking up plans. I know that face."

"Miinnnaaaa," Naruto made a show of whining, "Don't be such a spoilsport. I'm taking you to a restaurant, remember!"

"You're paying, right?"

"So cheap!" He accused, laughing.

Minato leaned forward a little, looked down at his best friend, and grinned widely, "It's called strategic thinking. Try it."

"I'll have you know that my strategies are top-notch." Naruto sniffed, mildly offended.

"That's what you said when we had to assassinate Lord Ryouma." Minato gave him a pointed look, and the other teenager had the decency to look a little embarrassed when he remembered.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" He pouted, a faint blush on his checks.

"Sure." Minato gestured lightly, "If you can't find your assassination target, shout that you're in the vicinity and that they should flee for their lives if they don't want to die."

"It still worked." Naruto decided, ignoring the amused look on his friend, a smile that grew bigger and bigger.

"Somehow they tend to do that. I have no idea why. Your luck is incredible, Naru."

"I'm awesome that way."

He chuckled, gently tugging a strand of his golden hair, "Well,  _'Awesome,'_ Where should I put the seal? Can I put it on your forehead?" He blinked innocently.

"No. I'll look like I have a third eye. Or a horn, like a unicorn." Naruto immediately shot down the suggestion.

"You'd be a very handsome unicorn," Minato argued. Because unicorns were universally loved, and imagining Naruto as a unicorn was oddly hilarious. The next step was finding a costume. He mentally rubbed his hands together. HALLOWEEN!

"Thanks, I appreciate the compliment. But I have no desire to look like a rhino-horse."

" _'Rhino-horse,'_ " The blond snorted, laughing, "Fine, fine. I'll put it behind your ear as well."

And he did; discreetly eyeing the instructions in the scroll, and then weaved together a seal through his chakra and will. It was pretty simple,  _ingenious_ \- like most of Naruto's seals.

Naruto was halfway asleep when Minato finally finished. He loved when the older of the two used his chakra on him. If felt so good, so  _relaxing_.

"Alright, I'm done," Minato announced. Trailing his finger over his work, a smudge of satisfaction washing over him. He was getting a lot better at putting on seals with his chakra alone. The Hiraishin was a fantastic practice tool for that.

"Five more minutes." Naruto yawned.

"Why are you sleeping!?"

 

* * *

 

Minato stood in front of his wardrobe mirror. He held two pairs of jeans, three shirts and two pairs of shoes.

He frowned, uncertain as to what to wear. It wouldn't be appropriate to wear the shinobi uniform when Naruto was taking him out for dinner. Kind of like a...  _date._

The blond teenager bit his lip, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. That couldn't be it, right? Naruto wouldn't ask him out on a  _real_  date, right?  _Right...?_

Before he knew it, a healthy amount of blood traveled to his cheeks, turning them a bright red as he leaned forward, covering his face with his hands and clothes.  _Oh god! He wasn't was he!? What was he supposed to wear on a date!? Was it even a date!? Panic!_

"Are you done?" Naruto's pleasant voice came from his bedroom door, and Minato felt his breath catch, his heart beating a little faster.  _He wasn't ready yet!_

"J-Just a second!" He all but stuttered, dropping all his clothes on the floor and reached for his uniform.  _I NEED CLOTHES! I'M IN MY UNDERWEAR!_

Meanwhile, Naruto sported a pair of black jeans, an orange t-shirt, and a thin black scarf. He would have left with his uniform if Kurama hadn't smacked him across his mental plane. Apparently, it was rude to sit in a uniform in a nice restaurant.

But as he'd argued, ' _It's just Mina!'_

**_'Exactly.'_ **

And then they'd left it at that. There was no logic with the old Fox, or so he thought.

The former Kage watched him reach for his uniform in a strange fit of panic, and he found himself smiling. Leave it to the two of them to take the most comfortable option; their uniforms.

"Awh man, now I feel all overdressed." Naruto made a show of pouting, making Minato turn around to look at him. As he did, the young man froze as a Nara deer caught eating Shikaku's pineapple hair.

Minato was quite confident that he looked like an idiot at the moment, but he couldn't help it, not with _that_  in front of him.

Naruto looked...  _amazing._

Black and orange were his colors, and with his golden hair that kept growing longer and longer, he was beginning to  _transform_. There was barely any of the old baby-fat left, just a little by the cheeks. Otherwise, his face was nicely sculptured with a strong jawline and chin. His smile was turning a little lopsided, and whenever Minato saw that; something inside of him would jump up and down in excitement. He'd noticed, after their four months apart, that his friend had a  **very**  nice voice as well. It was a melodious baritone sound that drew his attention no matter what he was currently doing. It didn't matter if a kunai was sailing for his head, he'd most likely prioritize that voice any time of the week.

 **Urgh** , he sounded like a crushing ten-year-old  _girl_. But... He had to admit, that his friend  _was_  very good-looking. Alarmingly so, now that he really thought about it. Because damn, that shirt  **had** to be a size too small for him.

"You look great," Minato cleared his throated and turned away, a faint blush still on his cheeks- but if Naruto's saw it, he didn't comment. "I don't know what to wear." He quickly added, "Uniform isn't very appropriate, is it?"

Naruto watched him fondly, taking a few steps forward as he reached down in front of him and took hold of a pair of dark grey jeans. "How about these?" He asked, and then opened Minato's wardrobe as if he'd done it a thousand times before. "Hmm..."

' _What do you think, Kurama? I'm not that good with fashion.'_

**_'Obviously. Take the white shirt and the brown cardigan.'_ **

_'Thanks!'_

**_'... humans.'_ **

"What do you think?" He asked, holding up the clothes 'he' picked out.

With somewhat clammy hands, "I like it." Minato reached to accept the items. And he did like it. With his natural tan and blond hair, brown was a very complimenting color.

"I'll wait downstairs." Naruto flashed him a grin and a peace-sign and then left the room.

Minato dressed quickly, a goofy smile on his face. This was going to be great!

He was halfways down the stairs when something  _roared_  outside, moments before the sky opened up and  _poured_.

Naruto stared at the weather through the living room window, a tick mark pulsing above his brow. "Really?  _Really!?_ " He hissed. Man, he was _starving._

"Oh..." Minato couldn't entirely hide the disappointment in his voice as he stopped next to his friend. Did that mean they couldn't go? However, Naruto slipped his arm around his shoulders, halting his thoughts instantly.

"Let's use the Hiraishin?" Naruto suggested. He'd be damned if he had to cook dinner when he made an effort to look like a civilian.

"I don't have a seal close to that restaurant," Minato said mournfully, looking out at the horrible turn in the weather. He'd been looking forward to eating at a nice restaurant with Naruto. All alone in a booth, candles-  _what_.

"What restaurants do you have a seal on?" The former Kage asked thoughtfully. Frankly, he just wanted to eat before he started to chew on the furniture. Jiraiya wasn't thrilled the first time it happened. But to his defense, he'd been starving after a two-week mission in the land of snow.

Minato desperately wracked his brain, trying to remember where he'd put his seals. "... Ramen?" Minato tried sheepishly, looking up at the growing smile on his friend's face, his cerulean eyes sparkling slightly at the mention of his favorite food.  _Of course, that would be good enough for him._

"Ramen!" He all but grinned.

 _Honestly._ Minato moved his arm around Naruto's waist.

And thus, they disappeared in a bright yellow flash.

 

* * *

 

Ichiraku Ramen was empty. It wasn't a trendy place, but there had been an uptake in business after a specific trio went there whenever they returned from missions. Nowadays it was either the Sannin who appeared in the usual group of three, or like now; Naruto and Minato.

The two of them appeared in the designated  _'arrival corner'_  as it'd been dubbed by the first owners. The moment they arrived-

"Welcome!" Teuchi, the newly appointed owner to the business, called, smiling brightly, "What can I get my two favorite customers this time?"

"Yo!" The tallest blond saluted, "Two miso for me and beef for Mina!" Naruto ordered, startling his blond friend who looked up at him in surprise. That was the first time Naruto ordered for him too. And he didn't even ask him.

"Coming right up!" Teuchi waved his hand, gesture towards the many open seats available. He then disappeared into the kitchen.

 _Did that mean this was a real date?_ Minato wondered. But surely Naruto didn't like him like that, right? No way. Pfft, they were friends! Partners! This was  **normal!** He was just looking into this  _way_  too much!

But young Minato felt himself grow a little warmer inside, unconsciously hopeful, as he took a subtle step closer to the magnetic presence of his best friend.

"I'm sorry," Naruto looked down at him,"Did I do something wrong?" Because he couldn't read the strange expression on the young man's face. He almost looked embarrassed.

Minato quickly shook his head, eyes moving up to meet his, "No, it's fine! I was just surprised. You've never done that before."

"I won't do it again if you don't like it," Naruto said seriously. He'd never meant to overstep.

"Don't be silly." Minato waved off his concern and took hold of Naruto's arm as he steered him towards a pair of chairs by a table. "I don't mind it. But that means you're paying, right?" He grinned over his shoulder.

"Fine, I'll pay for you. But I want something in return." His eyes shining with mirth.

"Like what?" Minato sat down, placed his elbow on the table and leaned into his hand.

"Hmm... For starters, I want the partnership form. Did you get one?" Minato's eyes widened. He'd forgotten entirely about the form! It needed to be signed to make it official. He reached into his pocket and pushed the paper across the table and towards the Uzumaki.

Naruto reached for a pen on the counter beside him and pulled the paper towards him, signing it with a neat and practiced hand without even reading it. At worst he'd just signed a marriage contract, and if he had, then he found that he couldn't bring himself to care. It could have been  _a lot_  worse.

Minato watched him write his name, his heart thundering in his chest as a silly grin pulled at his lips. This was it. His dream! He'd done it! Naruto was his partner now, and only his! Forever and ever!

"Alright. Done!" Naruto announced and pushed the form back to the other blond. A bright smile on his face. "I guess we're officially partners now. Too late to regret anything now."

"There's no way I'd regret this!" Young Minato practically beamed. Because this had to be the best thing that'd ever happened to him.

"Maa," Naruto chuckled, excitement building inside of him as Minato's infectious smile and happiness practically leaked into the air, "If you've got any bad habits, I'll probably know about them soon. So I'll come clean right now to avoid the awkwardness; I hate rabbits, and I won't even eat them if I can avoid it. I use the same towel for my showers- sometimes for weeks, and sometimes I forget to brush my teeth if I'm too tired. Oh, and I hate hospitals, so I usually skip out on my check-ups."

Laughter greeted him, "What's wrong with rabbits?" The rest of those things felt pretty normal, "They taste pretty good, you know. I thought you ate whatever was in front of you. I've even seen you eat tree bark once."

"That," Naruto spoke mildly, humor coating his words, "Was an emergency. It was either my fist or the tree. And I need my hand to tie my shoe-laces."

"Your shoes don't  _have_  shoe-laces."

"I have more than one set of shoes!" Naruto laughed, poking him with his foot underneath the table. "And I've had way worse than bark. Shima's cooking is atrocious."

"One of the Toad Sages?" Minato leaned back as Teuchi placed two steaming bowls of ramen in front of them.

"It's the one with the purple shower cap. She made me eat worms and caterpillars." He grimaced.

Meanwhile, Minato watched the floating noodles and felt a little nauseous. "Worms...?"

"Sage training. I was eating at a ramen stand and was reverse summoned. I literally ate it while thinking it was ramen." Naruto paled at the memory, "Couldn't look at noodles for weeks after that."

"But why rabbits?" Rabbits were cute and fluffy.

"Because they are evil," Naruto said instantly and with unquestionable certainty. His friend sweat-dropped, taking another mouthful of food, "I'm telling you! They're biding their time, watching you- plotting against you. And before you know! **Bam!** " He startled his friend who's eyes widened, "They strike! Killing you in your sleep."  
  
Minato snorted, chuckled and then full out laughed. "No, they don't! They're cute!"  
  
An image of Kaguya flashed through Naruto's mind, and he shuddered, "Nope. Definitely not cute. Burn 'em all."  
  
"That's so mean!" Minato continued to laugh.   
  
Yeah, it was mean to imagine Kaguya in a sea of fire. That bitch could burn seven days a week, and Naruto still wouldn't like the damn things.   
  
"What about you? Bad habits."  
  
Minato hummed thoughtfully, an impossible smile on his lips. Meanwhile, Naruto took the opportunity to devour his food, "I read too much, I think."  
  
"You do."  
  
"Naru!"  
  
The boy chuckled, smiling up from his food. It wasn't a secret that Minato could bury himself between the pages of a book if he were given the opportunity.   
  
"I've noticed that it's a bad habit to sleep next to you whenever I'm cold. Because when you're not around, I'm  _freezing._ " The last four months had been horrible, to be honest. It wasn't until then that he realized how spoiled he was.  
  
"But that won't be a problem anymore." Naruto reminded, "You won't be going anywhere without me from now on. So you've got your personal radiator at all times now."  
  
Minato blinked slowly and then formed an intelligent 'o' with his mouth. "Yes!" He celebrated with a fist-bump in the air. "No more cold nights and sneaky women." Because if he had to go on another mission with Sayuki, he'd stab himself with a kunai. At the very least he'd make his tent a death-trap to enter. Now he didn't have to worry since Naruto was so warm and when it was unusually cold- he'd cloak him in his chakra.   
  
Naruto sighed dramatically, "I know I'm hot, but that's taking it too far. I feel used."  
  
At that moment, Shikaku, Chouza and Inoichi entered through the flaps of the Ramen stand, "Who's hot?" Inoichi asked, already looking around for the source of the voice.   
  
"I am," Naruto stated, looking over his shoulder as Minato discreetly finished his noodles and tried to not choke on them at the same time.   
  
Inoichi snorted, making Minato frown for barely a millisecond before the young man elaborated, "I could have told you that."  
  
The entire place fell silent, and Naruto blinked slowly as everyone stared at the Yamanaka; said person appeared to be confused, "What?" He asked.   
  
"I didn't know you swung that way." Chouza took another bite from his onigiri, "Good to know."  
  
"W-"  
  
"Yeah, can I have my shirts back?" Shikaku added, "I... need them."  
  
"I'm not gay!" Inoichi spluttered, "But he's still hot!" He gestured widely to Naruto who watched it all in amusement, slurping his noodles and playfully nudged Minato under the table.  
  
"Thanks, Inoichi," Naruto pushed his finished bowl away from him as everyone turned their attention to him, "I like blonds." He winked and made the Yamanaka sway a little on his feet. "I'll remember to keep you in mind when I start going on adventures."  
  
"Thank yo- wait- w-what?" The young man held a hand to his mouth, utterly scandalized. "Are you gay!?"  
  
"No." Naruto laughed, earning a collective exhale of breath from all of them- except one, "I'm bi." He grinned wickedly as Minato whipped his head around faster than anyone could see. So quickly in fact, that nobody even saw him move.   
  
"Isn't that the same thing as being gay?" Shikaku took a seat at their table, the other two joining them as Naruto moved closer to his friend to make room for them.  
  
"No," Naruto disagreed, "It's more like I'm gay when I feel like it."  
  
Shikaku chuckled incredulously. Why was he even surprised when it came to Naruto? The man was one-fourth insane, ingenious,  _genius_  and  _'I-don't-even-know'_. Add a hint of good looks and charisma and people wouldn't care if he was a tree-humper.   
  
"Have you ever dated a guy before?" Inoichi probed. After all,  **gossip!  
**  
Unbeknownst to them, Minato wanted to know that too. He'd never talked about Naruto's love-life before. He'd just assumed there was none. But now that he thought about it, Naruto was a lot more mature than they were back then.   
  
"Dated? No. But I've liked a guy before." He shrugged, "Same with a girl, which is how I know I'm bi. Gender has never been a deciding factor for me. If I like someone, I just like them. They could be part animal, part bijuu for all I'd care."  
  
"Really?" Minato asked, intrigued. He didn't know Naruto was that laid back about it.   
  
"Yup." Naruto reached for his glass and took a sip of water.   
  
"I wouldn't go as far as part bijuu though," Inoichi grimaced at the thought, "Haven't you guys heard about the Gold Cloak?"  
  
Kurama pried one of his eyes open, whipping his tail back and forth to make sure Naruto didn't tense up and tip the Nara off. If there was anyone who could figure out Naruto was a Jinchuuriki, it was the damn Nara.   
  
"What's a Gold Cloak?" Minato tilted his head to the side. He'd never heard about that before. Then again, he didn't pay much attention to rumors unless Naruto was in them. Whoops?  
  
"It's what they call Konoha's Jinchuuriki," Shikaku replied, "Apparently, he's supposed to be a middle-aged man with chakra that looks like liquid gold. And he's supposed to possess the power to obliterate thousands of people as if it's nothing. That's how Kiri lost most of their fleet. There's this attack-  _a bijudama_ \- that detonates late a bomb. It destroyed most of the reefs around Uzushio during the war."  
  
Minato hummed thoughtfully, then turned to Naruto who sipped on his water in silence. "Naru, didn't you fight a bijuu back then?"  
  
That drew everyone's attention. Crap.  
  
"I did, along with Ero-sennin, Oro, and Baachan." He agreed because it was the truth and nobody expected anything different.  
  
"Was that a Jinchuuriki too?" He continued to ask.  
  
Actually, now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure. "I don't know about Jinchuuriki, but if it was, then that person was dead before I got there. It was already free when Oro and I joined the fight. It's kind of hard to miss a big ass turtle with three tails." He snorted. That fight was such a clusterfuck he felt like laughing whenever he remembered it. Kurama still cackled when the topic was brought up. Isobu would never live that down.   
  
"How do you know the Jinchuuriki was dead?" Inoichi leaned forward, soaking up the information like a sponge.   
  
"You didn't know?" Naruto rose a brow, "The Jinchuuriki die if the bijuu breaks free or are released from the seal they're in. It's pretty self-explanatory. They're called human sacrifices for a reason. They're  _containers_  for creatures that are practically gods concerning strength. Nobody told you that?"  
  
They shook their heads, a little surprised. "How'd you know?" Shikaku wanted to know. Naruto seemed to know an awful lot about those people.  
  
"In case you forgot," Naruto smiled kindly, "I fought one. And I wouldn't have if I didn't know what it was, I don't have a death-wish. Back when I was in Uzushio, Jinchuuriki's were common knowledge. Uzumaki Mito-sama was the Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi- Senju Hashirama's wife. The Uzumaki sees it as a part of our clan history since she was the first one ever."  


"Your ancestor was a Jinchuuriki?" Chouza pressed another onigiri into his mouth.  
  
"I'm not related to Mito-sama, at least not that I know of. My mom was a civilians Uzumaki, and my dad was a fisherman. I'm not even sure he was from Uzushio, to be honest. Probably Kumo or another island nation considering my coloring." He shrugged lightly.   
  
"But isn't it scary though?" Inoichi shuddered, "Someone like that walking around without people knowing who it is? I mean, how do you even know it's not the bijuu who's taken over the human they're in?"  
  
"I guess you don't." Shikaku speculated, "But from what I know, if they're sealed inside of humans, then they're not actually connected to them. I don't know all that much about fuinjutsu, not like you two, but I wouldn't worry about it. Right?"  
  
"Mm," Minato nodded thoughtfully, "There's a lot of powerful seals out there. But Naru would know better." He turned to his friend expectantly.   
  
"It's nothing to worry about." The  _actual_ Jinchuuriki said, "I haven't heard of a raging bijuu lately." He smirked, but then added, "If you don't know who the Gold Cloak is, then it's probably because the Hokage doesn't want anyone to know. I don't know about you guys, but it doesn't sound very smart to make it public knowledge."  
  
Shikaku could agree with that. It would cause a damn uproar if people realized that an actual Jinchuuriki lived inside of Konoha. Someone that crazily powerful as well.   
  
Nah, that shit was way too troublesome.   
  
"Speaking of public knowledge," Inoichi leaned across the table, snatching up a paper from the far end of it, "What's this?" He grinned, waving it back and forth in front of the two blonds faces.  
  
" _That,_ " Naruto said, leaning back in his chair, "Is a substantial pay raise."  
  
"How much is it for?" Minato blinked owlishly. He'd not bothered looking at the fine print. All he'd wanted was to have Naruto as his partner, rules, conditions, and perks be damned.   
  
" _Thirty-five percent._ "

"That's bullshit!" Inochi raged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you read in the last part of this chapter, Naruto's liked a guy before this(for the sake of plot) and he has dated him(although he couldn't actually say that aloud), but in his previous life/first life/whatever. However, I can't for the life of me decide on whom. So, I have a small request; which one would you guys like him to have fancied before this?  
> Not Sasuke ノಠ_ಠノ  
> And remember Neji died during the war with the bijuu.  
> And if you decide on Rock Lee, I'll ignore you all forever from now on (ﾉಠдಠ)ﾉ︵┻━┻  
> It doesn't matter if it's someone older than him either. I'll write down the one that get's the most suggestions and finalise it by the time the next chapter comes up, where I'll announce it!
> 
> GO!


	45. Could it be...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, my dear minions, it would seem that Gaara wormed his way into Naruto's heart. I was surprised to see so many Shikamaru votes. Can you even imagine the awkwardness with Naruto and Shikaku if he ever found out he'd hooked up with his son? Aaaaah~~ The opportunities lost.  
> Honorable mention to Kakashi though, he almost won. Like he almost saved Rin and Obito, and everyone else he's ever cared for. Whoops, too soon? Rip. LOVE YOU KAKA-SENSEI! ❤ 
> 
> Thank you for all the votes!

The storm settled during the night, and the sun peaked forth not too many hours later. Meanwhile, Minato stirred from his deep slumber, slowly opening his eyes to a world that seemed to shine and sparkle in the stubborn rays of light in the early morning sun.   
  
His body was warm, almost too warm, but not enough to want to cool down. Something hot, almost like a summer breeze, tickled his forehead. Minato listened to the steady breathing of his best friend, a young man that was still fast asleep.  
  
This was the best feeling in the world, he decided. If he could wake up like this every single day, he'd be forever happy.   
  
No thought was required when the drowsy teenager slipped one of his arms around Naruto's waist, pulling him just a fraction closer to his body. He wanted to be close to him, feel his beating heart against his own, to smell the scent of his skin. Naruto's presence was almost overpowering, drowning out all other thoughts and feelings.   
  
As he lay there, Minato began to faintly wonder why he liked this so much.  _Loved_ , even. When he saw Naruto, he'd get so happy, so filled with warmth and joy that he would almost burst. But it never happened when he saw Shikaku after a long time apart. Not even Jiraiya. It was only Naruto.   
  
But why was that?  
  
Why did he look for Naruto in a crowd? Or automatically switch his attention over to him when he spoke even if someone else did too? Why was it that only Naruto's opinion mattered? And why was his praise the most valuable?   
  
Naruto continued to sleep, chest rising and falling as Minato looked up at him, allowing his gaze to move over each of the lines on his handsome face. The blond eyelashes that were long and full, the high cheekbones and jawline, his pointed chin and the nicely shaped eyebrows. Then, of course, his favorite features; Naruto's lips, and his strange scars. His lips weren't thin, but not thick either. But they looked soft, and he found that that was all that mattered in the end. His scars, on the other hand, was something he'd never asked his friend about. He knew that Naruto grew up in a rough neighborhood and that he had a tough childhood. It only made sense that he received the scars from some sort of fight way back when... but he didn't dare speculate. Perhaps he could just ask him when he woke up? Yes, he could do that.  
  
He slowly pushed himself up a little, careful not to wake him up.   
  
Still, those pink lips... they looked  _really_ soft.   
  
Carefully, his fingers rose and gently touched them, allowing a small feathery touch.   
  
They were soft... just like he'd imagined them to be.   
  
Minato's teeth dug into his own lip, suddenly feeling conflicted as his gaze flickered between Naruto's soft pink lips and the rest of his sleeping face. He couldn't do it, right? It wouldn't be appropriate. He couldn't just take liberties just because they were partners now, right? It wasn't even official until the Hokage said it was, regardless if they both signed the form. It had to be accepted... but still... still!  
  
He moved a little closer, teeth digging into his bottom lip even more.   
  
Just once... once would be okay, right?  
  
His lips hovered over Naruto's, a hair-straw away from connecting and sealing them to his best friends. Just a little more...!  
  
Naruto stirred a little, making Minato snap his head back like a rubber-band.   
  
_What the hell was he doing!? He'd almost kissed Naruto on the lips! Why!?_  
  
He backed away, away from the comfortable warmth and Naruto's increasingly alluring appearance.   
  
What was going on? He'd never gotten the impulse to do that before. They always slept next to each other, and he'd never wanted to kiss him until now.   
  
Shocked, and confused, Minato laid down on the pillow next to Naruto's, staring disbelievingly at the sleeping teenager for a long moment as he began to dissect and analyze everything that was going on- his feelings and everything around it.  
  
What he came up with surprised him, but at the same time, it didn't. Not really.  
  
"I like you..." Minato finally whispered aloud to himself, starting to realize what was actually going on with him, "Don't I...?"  
  
It was the only explanation for his sudden desire to kiss him. Now that he thought about it; everything revolved around Naruto, didn't it? Everything from his career to his sleeping schedule. Because where Naruto went- so did he. When Naruto was happy, so was he, and when he smiled- so did Minato.

_He had a crush on Naruto..._  
  
Blood rose to his cheeks, and his eyes widened. His first ever crush... was on  _Naruto_ \- his  _best friend!_

What was he supposed to do now? What happened when you had a crush on someone? Was he supposed to tell him, or did he pretend he didn't have one in the first place?  
  
The more Minato thought about it, the more he didn't want the feeling to go away. This feeling, however embarrassing and confusing it was- it was pleasant, and it felt right. Besides, what did it matter if he wanted to kiss Naruto? Nobody knew except for him anyway.   
  
With pink tinted cheeks, Minato lifted the blanket separating them, moving back to his previous position as he settled by his side once more.   
  
Nobody knew, so perhaps he could take it for what it was, and savor the feeling for however long it would last. As such, he moved his arm and placed it around Naruto's waist once more, burying his face by his collarbones as he closed his eyes.  
  
But the impulse to kiss him hadn't left, and the closer he was to the alluring blond, the stronger it became.  
  
Slowly,  _carefully_ , Minato's lips touched the tanned skin right above Naruto's white tank-top. His skin was warm, smooth and unblemished, and it felt entirely right against Minato's lips.   
  
If at all possible, the crushing teenager came to understand just how hard of a crush he actually had. Because if he could kiss his best friend while he was asleep, and not even on the lips, and get the stupidest grin he'd ever felt himself wearing- then he definitely had his work cut out for him since Namikaze Minato sure wasn't known to make things easy for himself.

But even so...  
  
His lips carefully left Naruto's tanned skin, a raging storm of butterflies flying around in his chest as he laid back down beside him again. It was to Minato's utter surprise and joy that Naruto stirred again, instinctively pulling the short blond towards his body to cuddle him in his sleep.  
  
And Minato didn't mind one bit.   
  
Meanwhile, Kurama's long row of teeth pulled into a wicked grin.   
  
_Naruto was in a heap of trouble now~_

 

* * *

  
  
  
Naruto awoke to the feeling of someone touching his cheek. Almost like a gentle caress. But his first order of business was to always check on Kurama- but to his own confusion; Kurama swatted his tail against him the moment he entered his mental plane and promptly threw him back out.   
  
Frowning, the former Kage opened his eyes and came face to face with the slightly sheepishly look on his best friend.   
  
"Sorry, did I annoy you?" Minato chuckled nervously, "I didn't mean to wake you up."  
  
Naruto blinked, confused, but then shook his head, "You didn't. What were you doing exactly?"  
  
"I... erm, well, I was just looking at the scars on your cheeks." Because he definitely wasn't going to admit he'd kissed his chest and then been unable to keep his hands away.   
  
"Ah," To be honest, Naruto had been wondering when the subject would come up. It was surprising that it took as long as it did. "I was born with them. Or at least that's what I've been told." He technically had no way of knowing since he didn't have memories from back then, and Kurama said he'd been too pissed off to care how he'd looked. All he'd wanted was to gut his face and pick his teeth with him. In other words, the topic was buried and forgotten- much to everyone's relief.  
  
A smile tugged at Minato's lips, his fingers moving across the scars on Naruto's left cheek, "It kind of look like whiskers."  
  
"Meow."  
  
Minato chuckled, tugged a little on Naruto's bangs while his friend smiled up at him.   
  
"Hungry?" Naruto asked, the sound of birds singing outside of his bedroom window acting as a signal to announce that it was morning, and time to wake up.   
  
"I could eat."  
  
"Anything special? I'll make it for you."  
  
He shook his head, but the soft smile on his lips told Naruto that he was happy he'd asked. "Whatever you're having is fine."  
  
"Then what's your favorite food?" He'd never actually asked that before. Everyone knew Naruto's favorite was Ramen, and it didn't take a genius to figure that out.  
  
"Whatever you're making." Minato grinned.

"That's... vague. So you're saying that I can cook anything, something that would make Shima proud, and it'd still be the best thing you've ever had?" It would be pretty funny if he could make Minato eat snails or worms. For science,  _of course_.

"Heh... Whatever you make that's  _eatable._ " There was no way in hell he'd eat  **worms**.   
  
Naruto pouted,  "That's no fun. How am I supposed to express my creative side now? If nobody eats my food, then I won't know what's eatable."  
  
"How about you taste it yourself?" Minato suggested mildly. If this continued for much longer, he'd most likely volunteer, so he had to try and change the topic soon, or he was doomed.  
  
"My opinion is biased."  
  
"I don't know about you, but I could eat an omelet or toast. The worms will have to wait until we're either dying or starving, preferably both."  
  
"See!" Naruto smirked, poking the blond teenager's confused face, "That wasn't so hard, was it?"  
  
"You did all of that just to make me tell you what I wanted for breakfast?" Minato asked incredulously.   
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about," The taller blond left the bed, flicking his long hair over his shoulder.   
  
"Really now." The young Namikaze smirked.  
  
"Really, really."  


 

* * *

  
  
"I don't trust you right now." Minato looked down at the omelet that cooked on the stove. There were small, thin, white  _things_  all over it. He was pretty sure he was looking at a vegetable of sorts... but he wasn't sure, and he didn't want to eat worms by accident.  
  
"It's onion sprouts, baka!" Naruto flicked his forehead with his fingers. A soft 'ouch!' and a pout later, he dragged his friend over to the refrigerator and reached for some of the uncooked ones. "Here, they're pretty good."

"I've never seen onion sprouts before. Where did you get them?"  
  
"I'm growing them in the backyard. I planted a bunch of stuff last year, remember?" They'd taken a whole week off from missions and built a small vegetable garden in the back of the property. It was mainly due to Naruto's growing abstinence of tending to plants since he liked to do that kind of stuff. There was only so many plants you could have in your house before you felt like a stranger in your own home.  
  
"They're good." Minato reached for another one, munching on it quietly as they waited for breakfast. "What are we doing today?"  
  
"We're going to Jiji, gotta hand in that form." He then mumbled, "It's going to be an ache in the balls to make it go through the elders." While partnerships usually only had to be cleared by the jounin commander and the Hokage, Naruto was a special case. They'd need the council's 'permission,' or good wishes at least. It sucked because he hated being treated like some rabid animal on a leash, but Naruto knew better than to argue right now. There was nothing he could do that wouldn't make things worse. The elders were already glaring at him wherever he went. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to stand in front of all the councilmembers. His skinny ass would be cooked if that happened.  
  
"I almost forgot about that. I have it here." The shorter of the two pulled it out from the pocket of his pants. "It won't take that long, right?"  
  
"Don't count on it." Naruto mentally cringed, damn... why'd he say that?  
  
Minato tilted his head to the side, confused, "Why?"  
  
"Aah... Well, I'm practically ANBU, so... You know..."  
  
"More rules." Minato sighed.  
  
A tinge of guilt gripped Naruto's heart. He didn't want to lie to him. He wanted to tell Minato what he was, why everything was so damn complicated with him. But he couldn't bring himself to drag Minato into it all... Not yet. Naruto wasn't ready to deal with it. He wanted to keep some of the normality in his life, to stay in the rare and beautiful bubble he'd built around himself. Maybe it was selfish, but he'd been selfless all his life- and he was  **sick**  of it. For once, he wanted to live without everyone looking at him like he would either blow someone's roof off by accident, or with pity, or even pretend that they understood when they  **didn't**.  


When people found out what he was, something would change- shift in their relationship, and Naruto wanted whatever he and Minato had to stay the same. And he didn't trust that it would. Add the fact that he was forbidden to tell anyone by law, or the council would figuratively marsh him to the gallows, making his life a living hell. He'd give them ground to chain him to the village and deem him unfit for a partnership. But more importantly; when one person found out, information had its way of spreading, and by the end of it all, it would reach Zetsu. And then he'd have a target on his back. And knowing them, they would place Minato on the chopping board just to demoralize him and make him an easier target to reach.   
  
No, he couldn't say anything. Not yet. Not until Minato was stronger, and Naruto was confident that he'd put up a fight big enough to rearrange the landscape if they went after him. At least then his mind would be at ease. It would also help if Naruto could solidify his status as a jounin of Konoha, taking him out of the council's reach.  
  
However, there was also a sliver of fear that Minato would leave him. It was silly, he knew, completely  _unfounded_. But it was  _there_ , and it was very real and scary. The thought of Minato looking at him with disappointment, or fear... that made his soul ache and cry. It didn't matter how much Kurama assured him that he'd been okay with Kushina. It wasn't the same. She'd never treated Kurama as a friend, or a partner. Much less used his chakra and kept the seal wide open for the bijuu to break out if he wanted to. Kushina never even talked about it.  
  
It wasn't the same. And the thought of people not accepting Kurama hurt just as much as people not accepting him.   
  
After the fourth war, the world began to view the bijuu differently, at least most of them. But there was a deep-rooted fear of what terrible powers they carried. The world now knew that Jinchuuriki and bijuu's could turn the world into a wasteland and the lives of the inhabitants became inconsequential in their presence.   
  
A war between powers mortal men couldn't comprehend. There was nothing they could do but fear it.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Minato didn't know what to believe as the two of them stood in front of the Hokage, the jounin commander Shikako, and the elders Homura and Koharu.  
  
He'd been utterly sure that it would be a walk in the park. A simple matter of handing in the form, and then leave as inseparable partners for life. But this was beginning to feel like a trial, but not for him... but for  _Naruto_. And he didn't like how the elders were talking to him, looking at him with a strange sort of disdain in their eyes.   
  
Why would they do that? Naruto was such a fantastic person.  
  
But unbeknownst to him, Homura and Koharu weren't convinced of Hiruzen's claim that Naruto was innocent of the murder of Danzo. It was a deep-rooted distrust that had grown and tainted the memories of the deeds Naruto had already done for the village.   
  
The elders of Konoha was not allies of Uzumaki Naruto.   
  
"The ANBU is short-staffed," Koharu said, staring coldly at the tall and long-haired blond who seemed to appear infuriatingly indifferent to her anger, "We cannot pull one of them out of the ranks."  
  
"I agree, Hiruzen." Homura allowed his eyes to move from the blond to the Hokage, a man that sat silently behind his desk. "If the reports are to be believed than Uzumaki is a  _monster_ behind that mask of his."  
  
Kurama growled, not missing the underhanded insult to Naruto's status as a Jinchuuriki. Naruto didn't react, far too used to the various nicknames he'd received while growing up.   
  
But the Hokage frowned, sending his old friend a disapproving look.  
  
However, Minato had no qualms about making his disapproval known, "He's not a monster! All he's ever done is what's best for Konoha."  
  
"You will not speak unless spoken to, Namikaze Minato." Koharu reprimanded.   
  
Naruto slipped his hand into Minato's, making the teenager turn his head to look at him. The taller of them shook his head, telling him to stand down.   
  
Minato felt his heart constrict. Why was Naruto allowing them to talk to him like that? He didn't have any problems telling other people off when they lacked respect. There was something else going on here, something Naruto hadn't told him.   
  
_A secret..._  
  
"Is this what you want Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen finally asked, ignoring the 'not-so-subtle' glares from the elders.   
  
Naruto nodded once, taking a step forward, "It is, Hokage-sama." Pulling Minato half a step behind him, shielding him.  
  
The middle-aged man clutched his fist underneath the table, growing to heatedly dislike when the boy addressed him that way. It was always 'Jiji' or 'Old man.' The boy had grown to be like a son to him and to blatantly see the consequences of what a mere suspicion could drive people to do... He understood why Naruto acted like he didn't care. If he did, then he'd suffer under the scrutinizing and judging eyes of the people who knew what he was and what he was capable of being.   
  
"And what would you do about your  _responsibility?_ Don't forget, we are on the brink of a full-blown world war."  
  
"Hiruzen!" Koharu hissed, but the Hokage paid her even less attention.   
  
Minato felt Naruto tighten the grip of his hand, almost to the point of hurting. Minato didn't like this, didn't like what was happening at all.  
  
"No change, unless something happens. Then I will do what I have to."  
  
The professor nodded, agreeing to the terms. The boy would keep it a secret for as long as he could. But it would come out in the end, they both knew that. However, knowing that Minato would be older by the time he learned the truth, that eased the man's worries. He didn't doubt that Naruto was strong enough to protect him, but he was worried about what would happen if the older boy pulled away from him. If he gave Minato more time to mature than perhaps the backlash wouldn't be as harsh... and hopefully the elders and the council would drop the non-issue and treat it for what it was; an invaluable asset to the village to have the two as partners.   
  
"You've done well so far." He allowed, seeing Minato frown suspiciously. It took a lot of him not to laugh at the poor boy, "But don't forget."  
  
Naruto swallowed thickly, bowing his head forward in acknowledgment, "That tends to be difficult."  
  
The man watched him sadly, regretfully, "You know why it's necessary. You understand why." Naruto spoke a quiet 'yes.' "However, I'm not opposed to the idea of you partnering with young Minato-kun, if that is what you wish. But I hope you're prepared for the fact that not everyone will support it. Like my old friends have just demonstrated."  
  
"I'm aware."  
  
"You can't honestly agree to this!" Koharu made to stand up, only stopping when the man leveled her with an icy glare.   
  
"What I do is of no concern of yours,  _Koharu_ ," Hiruzen warned, moving his gaze over to Homura who remained silent, but disapproval oozing off of him. "As you're all aware, Naruto-kun's record is impeccable. Had it not been for young Minato-kun here, and the fact that Jiraiya had to take on a genin team at the time, he would have been made jounin after the battle of Uzushio. It's well within his capabilities to shoulder the responsibility of a partnership and carry out the duties that he's been assigned. I have complete and utter faith that they will deliver result and grow to be an invaluable asset to this village. As such, you have my approval and good wishes. What is your opinion Shikako-san?"  
  
"I only have your records to go by and the good word of my son," Shikako informed, a lazy drawl in his voice. He knew what Naruto was, and while wary of him, if Shikaku liked him- that was good enough for him. "You've proven yourself to hold a spotless track record. Aside from a mere D-rank some years back. Although, from what I hear, that wasn't entirely your fault as Jiraiya of the Sannin proved to play a vital role in the outcome."  
  
The Hokage sighed, remembering the damn mess with the busted potato-field and the furious farmer.   
  
"My son, and heir, also claims that he has you to thank for his own successful career so far. I hear you were the one to encourage him and his teammates to take the profession seriously?"  
  
"I only did what I believed was right. I have not told him anything I haven't told his former classmates. If my recommendations, warnings, and frankness has struck a cord, then it only shows that I completed the mission I was assigned."  
  
Shikako nodded approvingly. A good answer.   
  
"I see no issues with passing this partnership request. As you said Hokage-sama, they will prove to be invaluable, if not at least interesting."  
  
While that was often the only thing that such a request would require to pass, Homura and Koharu weren't prepared to give up so quickly. Not when the murderer of their friend stood right before them. Or so they felt.  
  
"I can't help but quest your bias towards the  _boy_ ," Homura said, expertly ignoring the frown on the Jounin Commanders face and the look of warning from the Hokage. "He may have an impeccable record so far, but that's only because of the limited missions we've assigned him. I don't trust that he's capable of holding it together."  
  
"I strongly agree." Koharu nodded, crossing her arms.  
  
Meanwhile, Naruto felt his anger spike, tired of the insults and the subtle hints of what he was in front of Minato. It was like they tried to scare him away from him.   
  
His nails grew a little longer, sharper. It wasn't his intention, merely a reaction to his and Kurama's growing anger, so when they dug into Minato's hand, he didn't notice.  
  
But Hiruzen did, and so did Shikako. Thankfully the other two didn't, too focused on glaring and cooking up plans and reasons to try and hinder his request.  
  
Minato felt the sharp pain course up and into his arm. He struggled not to show how much it hurt since he figured that the situation would somehow take a turn for the worse if he did. So he soldiered through, bravely pushing it to the back of his mind as he squeezed Naruto's hand tightly, trying to reassure him that everything was alright.   
  
It wasn't until Naruto's heightened senses picked up the scent of Minato's blood that his nails quickly withdrew, horror pooling in his stomach at the same time.   
  
However, before either the Hokage, Shikako or even Naruto himself could make a scene, Minato stepped forward.  
  
"You don't even know him." He said, not caring how disrespectful he appeared, "Why is this even an issue? And what right do you have to oppose the Hokage and the jounin commander when their opinions have been made clear? You're elders, not leaders. What you have to say is merely advice taken for formalities sake, not because they have to. And I'd appreciate it if you could stop glaring at my partner. I know he's attractive, but you're too old for him, it's not appropriate."  
  
The God of Shinobi bit the inside of his cheek, trying not to burst out laughing while Shikako didn't even try to hide the amusement on his face. Naruto looked shell-shocked, and Koharu and Homura were quickly turning a dark and alarming red as they scowled dangerously at the teenaged boy.  
  
"I believe," Hiruzen said, a hint of mirth shining in his eyes as the two elders erupted with protests and anger-filled retorts. "You two have made your point clear. Congratulations on your new partnership, I'll summon the two of you on your first mission once your vacation is over."  
  
Naruto quickly bowed, dragging Minato down with him before he then dragged Minato out of the door and into the hallway.   
  
"Go before they escape him!" He hissed urgently, quickly followed by the familiar pull of the Hiraishin.  
  
The two of them dropped down into a random training field, the shorter of the two falling to the ground as he clutched his heart, the muscle beating wildly in his chest. "I just  _ **sassed**_  the elders." He panted, trying to get himself under control, eyes wide in bewilderment. But then he burst out laughing, "I just sassed the  _ **elders!**_ "  
  
But Naruto was looking at his hand, a hand that was bleeding. He dropped to his knees, making Minato fall silent as Naruto pulled it towards him. "I'm sorry..."  
  
"Don't be. They had no right to call you those things. But I'm more confused as to why you let them. That's not like you Naru."  
  
"Everything about me is complicated." Naruto said quietly, leaning his head into Minato's hand, "I told you I have secrets. I have a lot of them... but that specific one... I'm nothing but a rabid dog on a leash to them."  
  
"You're not!" Minato stated firmly, not having any of it, "I don't know who pissed in their cereals, but you're my partner now, and I won't accept that crap! I'm the only one that's allowed to insult you, even if I'd never do that!"  
  
Naruto blinked, something warm soaring in his chest. "Thank you, Mina."  
  
"Of course!" He said, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
It was one thing to insult his best friend, another to insult his partner, but insult his crush- and he'd maim a bitch with a butter-knife and Ichiraku chopsticks-  _ **Halloween edition.**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minato goes full sass (￣⊿￣) yaaaaasssss


	46. Get out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Sunday, and I was bored, so here's another chapter.
> 
> Btw, don't assume that the people in the story know what a Jinchuuriki is. Everyone in Konoha didn't learn that until the Kyuubi attack. It's not common knowledge and a close kept secret. There's just hearsay, and nothing more. Besides, people think the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi has golden chakra- not red.

Jiraiya removed the large scroll from his back, putting it to the side as he took a seat next to his blond teammate. Again she had that strange expression on her face. It was starting to worry both him and Orochimaru, who sat across from them in the small encampment they'd built. The three of them were practically inseparable nowadays. Always going on missions, plotting, writing books and editing them, going to the bar, crashing at each others place, and finding new ways to play match-maker for Minato and Naruto without them noticing. Overall, life was pretty damn good.   
  
"How's everything with Dan?" Jiraiya asked, hoping to bring her into a better mood. But if at all possible, it only seemed to worsen as she hung her head slightly at the mention of the man.  
  
The two men exchanged a worried glance, turning back to Tsunade, "Did something happen?" Orochimaru probed, albeit surprisingly gently.  
  
She shook her head, but it was a blatant lie.  _Silly_ , one might even say. "Hime..." Jiraiya placed his hand on top of her head, immediately earning a sob from the woman. Alarmed, the black-haired man made his way over, taking a seat next to her as well. 

Tsunade  _never_  cried. And when she did, she had good reasons to.   
  
"He  _dumped_  me!" She cried, and her two teammates looked at her in stupified confusion.   
  
"What?"  
  
"When?"  
  
"Just before we left on this mission!" The medic hugged her legs, burying her face on her knees, "He said he wanted some time to  _think_. That he had _different_ priorities now."  
  
Frankly, neither Orochimaru nor Jiraiya knew what to say to that. The entire notion that someone would dump Senju Tsunade was unthinkable. She'd grown ever stronger over the years, studied diligently from the books that both Jiraiya and Naruto had given her.   
  
It was too dangerous to leave Sakura's work when they'd left their original timeline. As such, they'd brought with them all the sensitive information that they had. Even going as far as to seal the bodies of the dead to prevent future disasters. That meant that Tsunade was in possession of several decades worth of techniques and refinements of her own fighting style. Sakura was a genius when it came to medical ninjutsu, and not to mention poisons and cell manipulation. The woman had surpassed Tsunade by the time she'd reached twenty, and now all that information, all the techniques, and all Sakura's discoveries were in the hands of a young Senju Tsunade.    
  
"What  _priorities?_ " The Toad Sage wondered because that sounded like complete horseshit.  
  
"He wants _kids,_ " Tsunade sobbed again, "And I said I wasn't ready. That there are still things I want to do before I even  _think_  about children! He's been getting more and more distant too, saying that he has a lot of work to do at the Academy."  
  
Orochimaru grimaced. Those were the worst excuses he'd ever heard. It was apparent enough that Dan had moved on in search of a woman to knock up and start a family with. And Tsunade was too independent and strong to bend and fit into the mould of Dan's perceived view of what a woman and a family should be.   
  
Tsunade wasn't made to be a housewife. She was a damn shinobi. The granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage, the  **God of Shinobi**. The mere thought of the woman standing in front of a stove with a round belly had him snort in incredulity.   
  
Besides, Dan was a weak man. At least according to himself. If she were to find a husband, then she'd need a man that was strong and suited for the strong personality that she had. A man that wouldn't smother her or force her to be something she wasn't.  
  
"Ironic, isn't it?" She said bitterly, "I go out of my way to save his life, to make sure he's safe, and then encourage him to find an alternative path to his dream, only to lose him anyway." A couple of tears rolled down her cheeks, "I was never meant to have him, was I?"  
  
"You don't need him." Jiraiya frowned, "You're the strongest woman I know, and there's not a man in the world that deserves your tears."  
  
"Indeed. You can do much better than that weakling." Orochimaru added. Because an insult to the man who'd just dumped his teammate could never go wrong.   
  
Tsunade felt a small smile tug at her lips, despite everything. It didn't feel nearly as bad when she'd finally let it all out, "Thanks, you guys..."  
  
"Of course!" Jiraiya scooted a little closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as Orochimaru placed his hand on her hip, boxing her in between them both, "From now on nobody gets to snog our Hime without our permission! But the question is~" He smirked, leaning a little closer to her face, wiggling his eyebrows, "What's the reward for being a knight in shining armour for our resident princess?"  
  
Orochimaru sighed. Leave it to Jiraiya to kill the mood and receive a punch in the face.   
  
However, the punch never came. Much to Orochimaru's and Jiraiya's own utter disbelief. Instead, Tsunade reached up and tilted his head to the side, and then kissed his cheek.   
  
Jiraiya gaped, steam rising from his head as he fell backward in shock. The woman then turned to Orochimaru, who's cheeks suddenly felt strangely warm. And then she kissed him too.   
  
"Don't get any ideas," She blushed, "It's a one-time thing."  
  
Orochimaru cupped his own cheek, utterly bewildered for once in his life.   
  
Someone just kissed  _his_  cheek.   
  
_Willingly._  
  
What?

 

* * *

  
  
  
In another part of the country was two blond teenage boys who sat underneath a willow tree in one of the many training grounds in Konoha.   
  
One of them, the shorter of the two, was leaning into the side of the other. His hand was being tended to, healed, from the wounds the younger of them had unintentionally inflicted upon him.   
  
Minato rested his head against Naruto's shoulder, watching him as he moved his fingers over his hand and used his strange red chakra to heal him. It felt so warm and protective.   
  
If he didn't know what that chakra was, then he'd probably be a little frightened of it. Because red chakra didn't exactly look all that 'kind.' But it was Naruto's, and therefore it was safe- just like it made him feel deep inside.   
  
"I think we should do this more often," Naruto said quietly, stitching together another of the thin gashes. Even if Minato claimed it was fine, it didn't feel fine at all. He'd hurt him... injured him. "If I use my chakra on you more, then it'll be easier to heal you in the future."  
  
"Okay." Minato turned his hand around, allowing his friend to heal the other side too.   
  
The two of them sat underneath the willow tree in silence, one of them bathing in his own guilt, while the other was watching his crush tend to his injuries- entirely enchanted by the sight of him.   
  
Now that Minato had finally come to realize how much he actually likes his best friend, the poor boy could barely take his eyes off of him.   
  
He was just so perfect... So handsome, kind, and strong.  
  
"Naru?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"How did you do that, back there? Your nails aren't that long. You shouldn't have been able to do that." He wondered, voice calm and mostly curious. Because when he looked at his injuries, it looked like he'd been mauled by a tiger.   
  
Naruto stilled, his blood turning to ice. Minato wasn't supposed to ask questions like that! What was he supposed to say!?  
  
_**'Calm down, kit. Just show him your nails and tell him you can grow them due to the control you have over your cells. It's only logical.'**_  
  
The former Kage nodded faintly in his mental plane, allowing his eyes to flicker to Minato who watched him curiously. There was a strange sort of warmth in his eyes, a warmth Naruto hadn't seen before. Because of it, some of the guilt slipped away- along with most of his fear.  
  
"Sometimes," He began, hesitant but resolved, "Sometimes when I get upset... Or angry, my chakra spikes and activates."  
  
"Activates?"  
  
"You know I can heal practically every injury that ends up on me, right?" Minato nodded, "I can do this too..."  
  
He held out his hand, away from them both, as the pale and well-kept nails slowly elongated and turned thicker, darker and  _much_  sharper.   
  
The time-traveler turned a hesitant eye towards his partner, seeing him stare at his animalistic claws in shock.   
  
Minato had no idea Naruto could do _that_. _Yet..._  from everything he'd seen him do with his body, the rapid healing and the strength he possessed. It wasn't so far-fetched that his Kekkei Genkai had more to do with cell manipulation rather than a mere healing- or power boost. It made sense that he could reverse it; instead of fixing something broken- he could  _grow_  things too. That's what his body did with his wounds- in technical terms.  
  
"You can make claws...?" His hand reached out and took hold of Naruto's, drawing it closer to him so that he could get a closer look. He wasn't afraid, not even slightly. Just curious and fascinated.   
  
Minato carefully turned his hand and fingers around, touching the dark claws. "This is so cool."   
  
Naruto blinked, not sure if he'd heard correctly. "Sorry?"  
  
"This!" The older boy held up his hand as if though he hadn't seen it before, "You can make claws!" He all but gushed. Then his eyes began to sparkle, "Can you make _ears?_  Or a _tail_  too?"  
  
Speechless, the former Kage stared at him as if he'd grown another head and turned blue. He snorted incredulously, "Do you have any idea how many people freak about when they see this?" Maybe he'd eaten something funny at breakfast?  
  
"Well, they're idiots." Minato all but shrugged, squinting his eyes as he moved to the side, turned to the tree and used one of Naruto's claws to drag across the tree-bark. It left a long and deep gash in the wood, and Minato  **beamed.**  " _Awesome!_ "  
  
"You're not scared of it...?"  
  
"Of course not!" The boy poked the claws that were slowly receding into his hand again. "Do you even need Kunai when you have those?"  
  
"Not really," Naruto admitted. When he used his chakra to elongate his nails, Kurama's chakra hardened them and made them close to unbreakable, just like his own had been long ago.  
  
"Does it hurt?"  
  
"No, it doesn't hurt. It did in the beginning, but not anymore."  
  
"What else can you do?" Minato practically bounced up and down, eager to see what more talents he had. He was learning all kinds of new things about his partner, and it left him _giddy_.  
  
Naruto smiled faintly.  _'Is it okay?'_  
  
_**'Go for it.'**_  Kurama shrugged, deciding that he'd watch a little longer, and then take a nap again.  
  
"I can smell things," His finger rose to his nose, tapping it gently, "Better than an Inuzuka."  
  
Minato nodded, giving him an encouraging smile as he scooted closer, almost sitting in his lap at this point. "What else?" So far this was  **AWESOME.**  
  
"I can see things too... A little better than normal people. And I can feel nature chakra, that's why I'm so good at using it. Why I'm a Sage already."  He demonstrated by shoving his fingers into the soil underneath them, reaching for Minato hand, and allowed his chakra to connect them to the network of nature chakra that coursed through the earth.   
  
The blond teenager sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening when he felt how the entire  **world**  came  _alive!  
_  
"You feel this all the time?" He whispered, amazed.  
  
"It's always there, but I have to tap into it to feel it." Kurama made that possible after years of practice.  
  
"This is amazing Naru... Why didn't you tell me before?" He looked around himself. The leaves on the trees were dancing, moving to the currents of chakra in the air as the grass swayed and the small and almost invisible chakra signatures of insects and animals all around them shone like precious gemstones.   
  
Naruto was like a sensor on steroids.   
  
"Don't tell anyone, Mina." He said quietly, withdrawing his hand from the ground, "People can't know."  
  
Minato wanted to ask why, but it was clear that Naruto wasn't going to tell him. And he'd agreed that Naruto could keep his secrets and that he'd be okay with that.  
  
"I promise." He said instead, "On my life."  
  
"I'm sorry you had to see all that stuff back there. It wasn't pretty."  
  
"Is this why they called you a monster?" Minato frowned. Having the ability to grow kick-ass claws and tap into the chakra network of the world hardly felt like monster-qualities.   
  
Naruto shook his head, but then frowned and nodded, "It's complicated... But there used to be three elders, not just two. His name was Shimura Danzo, and he was found murdered four years ago. His heart was ripped out of his chest." He explained, looking away, "I was a suspect."  
  
"What?!" Minato leaned forward, taking a firm hold of his shoulders and shook him slightly, "That's crazy! They suspected you just because you can grow  _claws!?_ "  
  
The former Kage smiled softly, pulling Minato closer to him and more or less placed him in his lap. He then leaned his forehead against his shoulder, closing his eyes as Minato felt his cheeks grow warmer at the sudden intimacy.   
  
"Jiji cleared me, but they needed a scapegoat, and I was a perfect candidate." But he wouldn't claim that he was innocent because he wasn't. "There's a lot of people that don't like me, Mina. And when they find out you're my partner, they'll turn on you too. That's why I was so hesitant. I don't want you to get hurt because of me." Zetsu and Madara wouldn't hesitate to gut him.  
  
The shorter jounin moved his arms around Naruto's shoulders, hugging him tightly, "I don't need them. And if it makes you feel better, I'll become stronger, so you don't have to worry about me."  
  
"I'm always going to worry about you. You could go to the store, and I'd worry you'd get run over by a carriage." Naruto spoke mildly.   
  
"You know... I'm a jounin."  
  
"They can go really fast! And you're a scatterbrain sometimes."  
  
"I am not!" Minato leaned back. "What about you?! You can be super dense! And- And  _dangerous!!_  I once saw you pick up a Ryo from the ground and dodge a stray  _Kunai!_ You could have been killed!"  
  
Naruto pouted, puffing his cheeks up, "It wasn't a big deal."  
  
"And I'm sure I can cross the road without getting run over by a carriage on a  _walking-street._ "  
  
"You walked into a lamppost once." He pointed out.  
  
"I was  _distracted!_ "  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"You almost stepped on a chilli-bomb!" Minato remembered that event vividly. They'd been at Tanzaku Gai and walked through a busy street. A shinobi had his weapons pouch stolen and emptied on the road, and Naruto almost stepped on a stray chilli-bomb from it, and as Minato was about to warn him- he'd walked straight into a lamppost instead.   
  
"Don't nitpick so much."   
  
His response was an entirely flat look. And Naruto had the decency to look a little embarrassed.   
  
"Fine," Naruto pulled Minato towards him again, holding him close to his body and hid his face in his green vest, "I'll tone down the worrying. Or I'll try to."  
  
"Me too." It's not like he was the only one that worried himself sick when they were apart from each other. And now Minato had another reason to want to stick to his side like a plaster. "We're partners now... Can you believe it?" He smiled, happiness surging through his body.  
  
"Are you happy?" The other jounin asked. Because to him, that was all that mattered.   
  
"Un, I'm happy. Are you?" His fingers slowly threaded into his long golden hair. It was soft as silk to the touch.   
  
"I am."  
  
"What do you think sensei will say when he gets back from his mission?"  
  
"Something along the lines of; 'What took you so long?' Or 'Awh, look! They're trying to act all grown up!'. Don't get your hopes up. Ero-sennin has a habit of letting you down."  
  
Minato laughed softly, leaning back as he smiled brightly at the handsome teenager in his arms. His... only his. His Naruto.  
  
"I'm sure it won't be that bad."  


* * *

  
  
"Took you long enough."  
  
Minato sweat-dropped and Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. "I told you, Mina. Don't get your hopes up."  
  
The boy chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as the Sannin and the two teenage boys sat down at the dinner table.  
  
"So," Jiraiya continued, getting the blond's attention, "When are you moving out?"  
  
"What?" Minato spoke quietly as Naruto spit out a waterfall of milk onto the table.  
  
"Oi!" Naruto glared, pointing with his whole hand, "You can't throw us out! We're supposed to be your kids!"  
  
"Yeah, but you're jounin now. I can't hold the milk bottle for you forever." Orochimaru felt his lips tug into a traitorous smile, and Tsunade smirked. She knew  _exactly_  what the Toad Sage was doing.   
  
"In case you forgot, you adopted me! You can't just refund me when you get bored!"  
  
"I'm not refunding you." Jiraiya sniffed, "I'm throwing you out."  
  
"That's even worse! What the hell Ero-sennin! Oi, Oro, Baachan, back me up here! He can't do that shit! That's not right!"  
  
Orochimaru raised his novel a little higher, pretending he'd not heard a word as Naruto gaped disbelievingly at him. Orochimaru always backed him up! His eyes flicker to Tsunade, and he knew the moment he saw her, that she was in on it too. "Traitors!" The former Kage declared.  
  
"Why do you want us to leave, sensei?" Minato looked a little sad, and Tsunade squealed, walked around the table and pulled the poor boy into a boob-crushing hug as his face all but disappeared between them.   
  
"He's so innocent! How did he even become a shinobi!?" She rocked him back and forth, his hands flailing behind him in a fit of panic.   
  
"You're killing him Baachan!" Naruto took hold of his arm, pulled him out of her reach, and felt a sliver of worry wash over him as Minato appeared quite traumatized by the sudden turn of event. He was also terribly red.   
  
Tsunade laughed, Orochimaru hid his smirk behind his book, and Jiraiya cackled.   
  
"What happened?" Minato asked, dazed and shaken.   
  
"See, you broke him!" Naruto accused the three laughing Sannin.   
  
"Don't be so dramatic, kid!" Tsunade slapped the back of his head, perhaps a little too hard as he flew forward and slammed his forehead into the table.  
  
"Naru!"   
  
The former Kage groaned, "This is abuse... I'm telling you..." He had a giant red mark on his forehead, and probably a concussion too.  
  
Tsunade sat back down, grinning from ear to ear, "What's the big deal kid? You've got the money to buy your own place. And if you don't want to live alone, just bring Minato. You're partners now anyway. You'll need time alone to bond."  
  
"And Orochi-teme and Hime are taking over your rooms, so you'll need to be out before the week is over." Jiraiya shoved his pinky-finger into his ear, not even a hint of shame in his body.  
  
Minato blinked slowly, while Naruto raged beside him.   
  
When he thought about it, it didn't sound like a bad idea. He could live with Naruto all on his own.  _All alone with Naruto_... His eyes flickered to his friend, his chest warming and his cheeks turning a little pink.   
  
Tsunade watched Minato with a smirk on her lips.  _So, the kid has finally realized he has a massive crush on Naruto, huh?_ Good.  _Excellent._  Now she just had to make Naruto realize he wanted his partner just as much as the reverse. The two of them were already **close.**  
  
The woman mentally rubbed her hands together, cooking up plans to make the two an item. This would make _excellent_  reading material.  _Dramatic, intriguing and **steaming hot yaoi!**_  
  
"You want to?"  
  
Naruto's ranting came to an abrupt halt, the broken foot of his chair inches away from ramming Jiraiya in the head.   
  
"What?"  
  
Minato scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "If you don't mind... I don't either."  
  
Naruto pushed the Sannin off his chair- ignoring his yelp, dragged it towards Minato and sat down, staring at him with a thoughtful expression.  
  
"You want to live together?"  
  
The boy swallowed thickly, nervously, as he nodded his head once.  
  
Naruto hummed, scratching his chin for a moment. "I'm alright with it."  
  
"Then why'd you hit me!" Jiraiya cried from the floor.  
  
"Because you're a terrible parent!" Naruto kicked him, turning back to Minato, "Are you sure?"  
  
He nodded again, less nervous. "I'm sure. And since we're partners now, maybe it's better this way?"  
  
"Maa... That's true. But it's going to be hard finding a place in a week..."  
  
"No problem!" Jiraiya peaked up from the edge of the table, "I already bought you guys a place. So you can just pay me upfront and scram!" The man hurled two pairs of keys at the boy's, startling them.   
  
"You planned this!" Naruto scowled, "You sneaky bastard!"  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jiraiya sniffed, offended.   
  
Meanwhile, Orochimaru rolled his eyes, "It's a nice place. I picked it out for you."  
  
The former Kage hummed, eyed the key's, Minato and then the three Sannin. "I'll get you for this, you know that right?"  
  
The sight that greeted him made his skin crawl.  
  
All three of them smiled at him innocently- _sweetly._  
  
On second thought... maybe it was best to evacuate the building before their madness infected Minato.

 

* * *

   
  
"This better be good," Naruto grumbled as the group of five left the house behind and turned to the left on the street.  
  
Minato smiled gently, moving a little closer so that their shoulders brushed up against each other. "We'll make it nice if it's not." He promised.  
  
The words tugged at Naruto's heartstrings. Minato was always so kind and optimistic. There wasn't anything in the world that seemed to bring him down, and that was something Naruto needed in his life.  
  
"This is it!" Jiraiya suddenly stopped and gestured grandly.  
  
Speechless, Naruto and Minato stood side by side, barely a hundred meters away from their own house.   
  
"THIS IS JUST THE DAMN HOUSE NEXT DOOR!" Naruto roared, delivering a well-deserved kick to Jiraiya's ass, sending him flying a couple of meters away from them.  
  
"Orochi-teme picked it out! Don't blame me!" The man cried pathetically.  
  
"You influenced him!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hohoho, what happens next? Ψ( ｀▽´ )Ψ


	47. Kiss you..?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was sitting on the bus bawling when I wrote this ಥ_ಥ all the damn feels! *Blows nose*

Naruto walked through the house in silence, eyes growing harder and his steps heavier. He didn't mind living with Minato. Frankly, he  _wanted_  to. The idea of waking up and seeing his face every day brought happiness and joy into his life. But he wasn't an idiot. While they were partners, this wouldn't last forever. One day Minato would find someone to fall in love with, and when he did, he'd seek to start a family of his own. And when that happened, Naruto would be in the way, and it would be his duty to step aside to allow his friend his privacy so he could spend time with his wife.

Naruto would continue to be his best friend and partner, but nothing more than that. There would be times when Naruto wouldn't be desired or wanted. And he had to prepare himself for that. If Minato found someone and they still lived in this house... He'd have to move out to make room for her.

His throat tightened painfully, the thought of building a home with Minato was something that'd first seemed like a small dream come true, but now it felt like a curse. It wasn't permanent, only temporary. One day Minato wouldn't want to have him around like he does right now, and he would have to accept that.

He'd never find peace in this house.

The sound of Minato's laughter and Tsunade and Jiraiya talking echoed through the hallway. Naruto stopped, eyes turning to the floor as his chest constricted.

Why did he keep doing this to himself? It was the same way back when he was Hokage. He kept to his small apartment, refusing to set foot in the Hokage mansion despite everyone's urging. Everyone found it weird that he never moved from the two-room apartment that he'd rented, to take his place in the mansion that he'd earned the right to.

But the only thing such a large place did- was to remind him how lonely and empty his life was. The woman he'd loved married another, and then the man he'd loved fell through because of who he was. Gaara had a village of his own to run, and so did he. It would never have worked unless one of them gave up their position, but because of the war, and the broken villages under their rule- they had to remain and shoulder the burden of their villages as they were the only ones who could.

And that left Naruto alone. He was on another plane of existence to his friends. They fell in love- uncomplicated and beautiful, married and built families. Moved from apartments to houses. All the while Naruto sat behind his desk in the Hokage building and filling out forms and going through the numbers of yet another year of bad growth and a dipping economy.

He loved being Hokage, he always had. Nothing, not even the horrible decisions he had to make, would be enough to make him regret ever taking the role. He'd done his best, he knew that now, even if he'd failed in the end.

Regardless... _this house._  This house was glaring proof that one day-  _one day soon_ \- he'd need to step into the sidelines again- out of the way. Just as he'd done when his friends found happiness and rearranged their lives to better accommodate for it. He knew from experience that that meant less time for him, as they needed to focus it on their own lives. It wasn't something to get upset over because he was genuinely happy for them. But the more who found their own happiness, the more obvious his own lack thereof made itself apparent.

These past few years he'd been happier than he ever remembered himself being. Minato was his sun, the person who brought warmth and hope to his grey and cold life. However, lately, and especially with  _this_  sudden turn of events- Naruto felt how temporary it was.

Somehow, that was always what happened to him in the end. Life continued to move forward as it left him behind, and abandoned him to drift to the tides of time.

Naruto leaned up against the wall in the hallway, head hanging low.

Was he going to be forced to build a home that he couldn't be a part of? He didn't want to build a home for someone else. He wanted to do it for himself. Him and Minato.

The walls around him seemingly narrowed and drew closer, making him claustrophobic just as he'd often felt in his old apartment in another life. Which was why he'd always been in his office. Sometimes even slept there at night.

_What a miserable person he was._

Meanwhile, Tsunade showed Minato around, talking about the different types of interior design choices one could make to make the place feel more like home. The other two Sannin stood to the side, watching them both in amusement and faintly wondering where Naruto had disappeared to.

Minato listened, nodding enthusiastically at the many suggestions the blond medic had. Everything from the color on the walls to what type of pillows would fit into the sofa they didn't even have. All the while, his heart soared in his chest, and his stomach bubbled with excitement. He couldn't remember when he'd been this happy before.

The idea of living with Naruto, his  _crush_ , had him almost dizzy. He'd be able to see Naruto every day, even more than before! And they could share everything, cook together, clean together, water the plants and tend to the garden and just- Minato practically  _shone_ , radiating light as if he'd swallowed a flashlight.

The first to notice when Naruto came back was Orochimaru and Jiraiya. The Snake Sannin frowned in slight confusion and made his way over to the disguised Kage who appeared strangely heavy at heart. Jiraiya was close behind, recognizing that expression from a time long ago as he quietly berated himself for forgetting what about.

"What do you think of it?" Orochimaru asked quietly, unsure of what the issue was.

Naruto was silent for a moment, letting his eyes roam across the open space, and towards Minato and Tsunade who was still talking avidly with one another. "It's large." He said.

Jiraiya frowned, having a sinking feeling of where this was going.

"It is. It's a house." Orochimaru stated simply, "That's the point."

"A house means something permanent," Naruto said quietly, and Jiraiya grew cold. This was exactly what he'd feared. How could they have missed this? It was so easy to forget that while Naruto didn't have many things he openly seemed to have problems with- that was only because he kept them to himself, not because he was carefree. That was who he was. A person who drowned in his own problems- never asking for help unless it was for someone else.

Orochimaru hummed thoughtfully, "I suppose you're right." However, his muscles tensed when Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, slowly shaking his head in warning to stop talking. The man knew something he didn't.

"But we're not permanent, are we?" Naruto stated dryly, "It's all temporary."

Orochimaru's eyes widened a fraction, finally understanding why Naruto appeared to be so upset.

"Hime," Jiraiya called out, "I remembered a thing we had to do for sensei, let's go."

Tsunade narrowed her brows in confusion but didn't question. "Find me if you need any help." She turned to Minato and smiled, ruffling his hair. The woman walked past Naruto, sending a questioning look at her friends, but they merely shook their head. Not the time.

However, Minato's attention was fixed on his best friend. He didn't say as much as 'goodbye' to the Sannin as they left the empty house behind. He had more important things to concern himself with. Like why his friend looked like he wanted to be anywhere but the place he currently was.

This was their home... he wasn't supposed to look like that.

"Naru?" He asked carefully, taking a few steps forward. But to his own confusion, Naruto took a step back and turned to the side, moving in the other direction and began to circle around the room- seemingly without purpose aside from the need to keep moving. "What's wrong?"

"We should get an apartment in the shinobi district instead."

Minato furrowed his brows in confusion. He didn't mind getting an apartment, but the house was already bought and paid for. And it was also a beautiful house- a  _perfect_  house. There was no need to change to an apartment unless the house itself was damaged in some way. Which it wasn't. Not to mention... the apartments in the shinobi district were small and temporary homes for shinobi who were rarely in the village. It wasn't even worth the name of 'home.'

"What's wrong with the house? It's already paid for."

"Don't you think a house is a little much for a temporary living situation?" Naruto wondered with a tight frown.

"Temporary living situation...?" Minato repeated quietly. What was Naruto talking about? Wasn't this meant to be forever... The two of them living together?

"Really, Mina." Naruto stopped, "In a few years you'll find a girl you like and move in with her. What are we supposed to do with a house like this when that happens? I'm not interested in setting this place up just to be kicked out of it or sell it. I'd rather get an apartment that I can downgrade when that happens."

What the hell was he saying? Minato felt his blood slowly pump faster, "What are you talking about?" His voice waved slightly. What girl?!

Naruto, tired of repeating himself, and already hating the topic enough to want to vomit on it, sighed again and gave him a tired look, "You're sixteen. You'll start dating soon- if you haven't already." Because they'd been apart for four months, so maybe he'd met someone interesting during that time? "Do you honestly expect me to fix this place up just for someone else to live here?" The mere thought made him irritated.

"What are you saying? I'm not going to date anyone!" Minato exclaimed, flustered.

"But you will!" Naruto's voice rose in frustration as he gestured to the whole house, "This is a house Minato!" The shorter boy reeled back as if he'd been slapped, eyes widened in shock. Naruto  **never**  called him 'Minato.' "It's made for families! _Permanent_  families! Not for teenagers who just made jounin. One day soon you'll want to build your own life, find your own happiness and you can't do that with this damn place holding you back!"

"I have my own life!" Minato snapped back, growing frustrated and upset over his words. He was happy, more than he'd ever been! Why would he ever want to let that go? "I am happy! What makes you think I'm not!? Have I ever made you feel that I wasn't?"

Naruto growled, taking a step forward as Minato did the same with eyes ablaze and tears slowly building in his beautiful blue eyes.  _He just wasn't getting it!_ "This isn't real happiness! It's when you find someone to love and whom you want to spend the rest of your life with! We might be partners, but it's for our job! You have a life outside of the missions we go on, and if you're stuck here with me then you'll never get that! Are you trying to make yourself miserable!?"

"Why do you keep doing that!?" Minato all but shouted, his heart aching. The day had started so perfectly, had it's ups and downs... but now he felt like they'd crashed on the bottom and lost their way to the top. "How do you know I won't be happy here with you? Urgh, just stop assuming you know what will make me happy in the first place! You obviously don't! I don't give a damn about some random girl! I'm not getting bloody married either! And I'm not getting a damn shoe-box apartment in the shinobi district!"

"Stop being so damn stubborn! I just don't want you to be stuck with me when you find something better!" Naruto shouted back, but quickly took a step back when he realized what he'd said. That wasn't what he'd meant to say...!

An angry tear slid down Minato's cheek as he took a silent step forward, "Do you  _think_ ," He hissed dangerously, "That I would just jump ship when someone  ** _better_**  came along? That I would choose to partner with just  _anyone_? That I'm so damn  _cheap_  that I would drop you if I fell in love with someone? Is that how  _lowly_  you think of me?" He continued to walk forward, up until the point where Naruto's back pressed against the wall. The taller of them looked taken aback, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be! I wouldn't have committed myself to a partnership if you weren't worth every second of my day! I'm not standing here right now, in this damn house, if I didn't want to make it ours!"

A traitorous tear rolled down Naruto's cheek, shocked at hearing someone say such a thing.  _Ours...?_

Minato raised his hands and took a firm hold of Naruto's head, pulling him towards him as his eyes shimmered with tears, "Do you have any idea how happy the thought of living together with you makes me? To build a home with you? To come home, every single day and know that you'll be there? If all I ever get is this, then that's more than enough. I don't need more. You give so much already," His voice softened more and more, tears rolling down his cheeks, "Stop treating yourself like you don't matter in the face of others. Not once did you mention what you wanted- only what you wanted _for me_. But that's not important. Because I want to know what  _you_  want."

Kurama mentally nudged his partner forward, encouraging him to finally open up a little. His kit needed this. He'd been stuck in his own misery for far too long.

"I-" The words got stuck in his throat, the traitorous tears continuing to fall. Why was it so difficult to take something for himself? To admit when  _he_ wanted something too? He wanted Minato to stay with him. To never leave. "I don't want you to leave me behind. They always do that... Always."

Minato didn't know who 'they' were, but he cursed them anyway. He recalled how Naruto mentioned that he worried a lot about him, how he always would. And it was beginning to dawn on him that perhaps he did it to the extent that he forgot about himself in the process, always prioritizing others. That when he focused so much on others, he didn't acknowledge that he needed things too. Whomever 'they' were, they'd hurt him. Hurt him enough to make him believe that his own unhappiness was just the way things were meant to be. That they were more important than him. Maybe he was wrong, but it didn't matter right now. He didn't care. 'They' weren't here, and whatever they'd done to him, Minato was going to  _fix it._

"I'm not leaving you." Minato moved a little closer, his thumbs gently catching the tears of his best friend. "I don't know who 'they' are, but I'm not them, and I don't want to be. You're with me now, right? It's you and me. Not you, me, and some girl. Or even Me and a girl." He raised his chin, nudging his nose to Naruto's chin, "It's just you and I. You and I and  _our_  home."

"But what if you regret it...?" Naruto asked softly. There was always the possibility that something was one way right now, and changed further down the line.

"I'm not going to." He promised gently, "It's impossible. Because you're the best there is."

"That's not true."

"It's true to me, and that's the only thing that matters. You might disagree, but I'm the one living with you, so I'm the one who has to make that call. And I've made it."

Naruto hung his head, close to Minato's shoulder, "I don't want to get in your way... I always get in people's way. I always have to move to the side to make way for others."

Minato's throat constricted, finally understanding what Naruto meant when he said that people left him behind. He hadn't been correct before- not entirely. Naruto was scared of preventing other people from being happy. To be seen as a burden people couldn't get rid off. To be left alone when people find something  _better_.

"Is that what you think?" He asked quietly, softly as he moved his fingers into his long beautiful blond hair. "Has it never occurred to you that you mean everything to me? That if you told me that this was only temporary, that it would make me sad? That I actually want it to be permanent?"

Naruto's breath hitched, turning to the side as he looked from Minato's cheek to his kind and clear blue eyes, "You do?"

"I do." He smiled.

_'I'm such an idiot...'_

**_'I know.'_ **

"I'm sorry, Mina." The former Kage, a man that apparently had a lot more to learn, reached around the blond teenager and pulled him into his chest, embracing him and clinging to his existence. "I'm so sorry."

"I know." Minato continued to smile, holding him just as tightly, "But Naru," He added gently, "Please talk to me about these things. I know you can't be specific, but I want to understand. And if you're worried, tell me. I don't want us to argue again..."

"I will."

"That's all I ask."

It felt a little strange to have had his first argument with Naruto. But if he didn't imagine it, he felt even closer to him now. Arguing wasn't fun, but if they continued to understand each other better from it- then perhaps it wasn't so bad to do it occasionally.

A couple of years in between each one sounded like a good plan.

"Thank you," Naruto whispered, a suffocating and dark cloud of pain rose from his heart, allowing him to breathe once again. "I'm sorry for being such an idiot..."

"I forgive you." He whispered back, turning his face towards his neck where he nuzzled into his warm and tanned skin, "I could never be angry with you. You didn't say those things because you wanted to hurt me... but because you worry about me. And I can't get angry for that, even if it hurt hearing."

"I just," The taller blond took a shuddering breath, "I don't want to imagine you unhappy. To me, that's the only thing that's important. As long as you're happy, so am I."

"But that's not true, is it? If I'm happy at the expense of your happiness, then that would just hurt you, wouldn't it? I don't want that at all. That would just make me sad."

Again, those were words Naruto had never heard before. Nobody thought about him and if their happiness cost him something. When Sakura married Sasuke, she didn't think of how that would make him feel. Sasuke didn't think of him- probably even less so. Even if he was happy for Sakura, it had still hurt him. It didn't help that she'd refused to acknowledge that he'd loved her.

A loud **'Bang!'** forced the entire mood in the room to turn off like a switch, and the two teenagers snapped their heads to the side, staring in shock at the living room window that had an egg-yolk sliding down the glass.

"Just kiss already!" The irritatingly familiar sound of Jiraiya boomed from outside, quickly followed by, "Ow! What the hell Hime!"

"Shut up! I can't hear if you keep shouting!"

"You do realize they know we've been listening to them the entire time, right? And you've ruined the mood. If they were going to kiss, they definitely won't do it now."

"Jiraiya!"

"What! They were taking forever! Goddamnit woman, stop hitting me!"

"You're not the one that's writing the romance! I am!"

"You're both making it worse."

"Shut up!" Both chorused.

Meanwhile, Minato and Naruto were red as beats, hands slowly moving away from each other as they suddenly became aware just how close and intimate they were.

"Sorry," Minato whispered, mortified and hoping the floor could just swallow him before he died from embarrassment.

"N-No, it's fine. I'm sorry too." Naruto looked away, instinctively reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. Why did Ero-sennin joke about that? Kissing Minato?

"See! RUINED! RUINED JIRAIYA!"

"OW! STOP HITTING ME!!"

"You're both idiots."

Naruto awkwardly reached his hand out to nudge the blond teenager in front of him, "Hey... I can leave my clones to clean this place. And they can pack all our stuff. So, erm, do you want to go to the market together and buy things for the house?"

If at all possible, Minato's cheeks burned even hotter. Naruto probably couldn't see it, but they did, and it wasn't because of the Sannins intervention. "Yeah," He nodded, brushed some of his fingers over his own cheek, trying to soothe the blush. "That sounds nice. Paint and wallpapers first?"

"That's a good idea." The other boy agreed quietly as they both slowly made their way out of the house- expertly avoiding the Sannin who were rolling around on the ground outside of their living room window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of Naruto's self-esteem issues peaked out (ಥ﹏ಥ) It's okay boo-boo! No cri! (つ﹏<。)


	48. You and I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You think the previous chapter struck the feels? HAH! (ಥ﹏ಥ) *Cries in a corner with my teddy bear*

"Hey," Minato stopped, turning to Naruto who'd reached out for the sleeve of his arm, "Wait here for a moment?"

"Okay." The older of the two said, watching his friend as he entered the convenience stored they'd just passed. Minato raised his own hand, carefully rubbing his right cheek. It was a little sore and puffy from the tears from only a short while ago. It felt better between them, if not a little bit awkward. They spoke in soft voices, not wanting to raise it like they had before. Making an effort to be extra gentle when they had reason to touch each other. There was a lightness to them, a soft- or muted and calm air around them. It was difficult to describe, but Minato knew that something had changed between them.

What that something was; he wasn't entirely sure. But he did know that it wasn't a bad thing.

He took a seat on a nearby bench, leaning his head into his palm while he waited.

Everything had taken such a strange turn. The day started out with secretly kissing Naruto, to a bizarre confrontation with the Hokage and the rude elders, the discovery of Naruto's unique abilities that he'd kept hidden, and then getting thrown out of their home. Add to that, getting a brand new house, getting into their first ever real argument, and making up just as quickly. And now here he was, in the late afternoon and faintly wondering if the world had anything more to offer on such a day as this.

At that moment, something appeared in his peripheral view, and that something was gently pressed up against his puffy cheek. It was cold, like ice.

Minato looked up, noticing Naruto looking down at him with guilt-struck eyes. In his hand, he held a popsicle still in its package- pressing it gently against his cheek to soothe the irritation of his skin. "Here," He said just as Minato took hold of the peace-offering.

Although, he wasn't angry or upset anymore. That feeling had left as soon as it arrived.

"Thank you."

Naruto sat down, slowly pulling off the paper from his popsicle. He felt bad for how he'd acted. He'd lost his temper, drawn unfounded conclusions about Minato, and made him cry.

He felt like a right ass.

The reasons he'd had paled in comparison to what the consequences had been. His self-esteem issues felt pathetic and childish when he looked at Minato and his red and puffy cheeks. Nothing was worth making him cry. Absolutely nothing.

"Hey," Minato nudged his shoulder with his, drawing his friends attention, "Don't look like that. It happened, but it's done and over it."

"I made you cry..." Naruto whispered, guilty as they come.

However, Minato merely smirked, "So did you, in case you forgot."

The former Kage straightened his back, turning away slightly, "I just got something in my eyes."

"Onion sprouts?"

"They're  _really_ strong." The teenager pouted, embarrassed. He rarely cried- if ever. Although, around Minato, those impulses seemed to increase a whole lot these past few years together. Minato made him very emotional, he'd noticed.

"We'll have to plant new ones." Minato mused aloud, unwrapping his popsicle. It was his favorite; blue soda. But only because it was the first Ice popsicle that Naruto gave him way back when. "We should make it bigger this time."

Naruto felt himself grow warm at hearing him talk about their home. The home they would be building together. "I was thinking... that we could build a dojo too." He'd miss the dojo in _Ero-sennin's_  house. He still couldn't believe the bastard kicked them out! Even if it was for partner-bonding. It was still  _irritating_.

"You can do that?"

"My clones can do that." He smiled faintly. "I've done a lot of construction work."

And Minato didn't doubt that he had. If he completed ten D-ranks a day, then he was bound to be everything from a carpenter to a certified babysitter at this point.

"Then how about I organize the library? I feel like you're doing most the work with this."

"All yours. And the study if you want." Naruto suggested at the smiling blond.

"Deal. Bedrooms?"

"Together. You have a habit of extending the library into your bedroom."

Ah... Well, that wasn't exactly  _untrue,_ Minato admitted. "Right. Together."

Feeling a lot better, Naruto finished up his ice treat and waited patiently for his friend to follow. He ate a lot slower than him, savoring the taste of things instead of just wolfing it down like he did. It was a bad habit, he knew. And he realized that he ate as if he was afraid people would take the food away from him. Like he was starving. But when he'd begun to eat like that- way back in his childhood, that's precisely what he'd been; starving.

"Where do you want to go first?"

Minato hummed, looking around them and then up at the setting sun, "I think we should get our beds first... It's getting late. We can look for paint and wallpaper tomorrow."

The younger teenager looked up at the orange-tinted sky and nodded, "Yeah."

 

* * *

 

It was thirty minutes later that they stood in a furniture store and in the bedroom section. In front of them was a large number of beds. Everything from kid-sized ones to king-sized. But the reason they stood there in silence, was because neither of them could bring themselves to ask the question both of them mulled over.

Did they buy two beds for two separate rooms... Or one bed for one room...?

"Maybe..." Minato swallowed thickly, turning away so Naruto couldn't see his face and his burning cheeks, "Maybe we can buy one now... and then another later?"

Naruto nodded, "That's a good idea." That way they wouldn't have to bring back two beds today and could just get the essentials for now. "Single or double?"

The teenager bit his bottom lip, eyeing the many beds in front of them. One bed...  _One_   _bed_. What did he want? Did he want to sleep in a single bed that could easily be called Naruto's or his? Or did he want a double bed that was  _theirs?_

"Probably a double," He cleared his throat, "Maybe?"  _Dear God, don't see through it!_

"Then a double it is."

Minato let out a heavy,  _quiet_ , sigh of relief.  _Thank God Naruto is dense as a brick._

The two blonds made their way over to the area with the double beds, each of them different but looking entirely the same. The next question was; how were they supposed to know which one to buy? They all looked the same.

"Hello there!" A woman with short brown hair came walking down the small path between the beds, smiling politely, if not a little knowingly. "What can I help you gentlemen with today?" She asked.

"Erm, we're looking for a double bed," Naruto explained, feeling a little weirded out by the whole situation. He had no idea why he was so damn nervous about it either. It was just a damn bed!

"Ah, I see. For the two of you?"

Minato's face could have stopped  _traffic_. But the woman merely smiled politely, another infuriating and knowing smile on her lips as she moved her gaze between the horribly embarrassed teenager to the awkward looking teen to her side. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was the furthest ahead in their relationship. By the looks of it, the taller one was either unaware or dense. Maybe both. But the other was clearly all too aware of the situation.

"Would you care for a recommendation?" She asked, receiving a nod from both the boys. "This one over here is popular among our customers. It's kind to your body, but not too soft, nor too hard. Also suited for shinobi such as yourself. Please, do try it."

A bit hesitantly the two of them took a seat on it, sinking down a little but finding the bed surprisingly comfortable. It wasn't too bad.

"It feels nice." Minato said, looking to his friend who nodded, "It does."

"There are several mattresses you can choose from that matches quite well. Would you be interested in looking at them?"

"Show the way." Naruto stood up, Minato close behind.

 

* * *

 

In the end, the two of them ended up buying the first, and the most expensive bed that they'd found. Or had been  _recommended_ , whichever worked best. The two of them stood in the master bedroom on the second floor of their new house, both staring at the instructions to assembling the bed, but neither moving to do so. Why? _Sweet Lovers Deluxe_ , was the simple answer to that question.

That woman... knew something they didn't.

"How did we miss that?" Naruto couldn't help but wonder. Had they just bought a bed designed for lovers?

"I didn't know they had...names." Minato glanced between the bed, his friend and the accursed paper that tainted his beautiful teenage crush and made it into something...  **very adult**.

"Well, it says 'Deluxe' so it's probably alright." Naruto tossed it over his shoulder, reaching down to begin building their expensive  **Deluxe** bed. It better be good with that disgusting price-tag.

Minato chuckled, leaning forward to help him set it all up. That woman had taken liberties but they'd apparently been too dumb to realize it. Nothing they could do about it now though.

An hour and a half later, the bed in black-painted wood stood assembled and made with the dark grey sheets and duvets they'd bought alongside with it. The headboard had a thin picket fence appearance- something that had taken Minato close to an hour to build thanks to sketchy instructions in the manual. But he'd managed, and felt right proud of it too.

The boy yawned, exhausted after the long and trying day, "You should go to bed." Naruto advised, rising from the edge of the bed and made to leave the room.

"What about you?" Minato felt a sliver of fear squeeze his chest. Was he leaving? Why was he leaving?

"Shower."

Oh...  _oh_. Whoops?

"I need to shower as well." He admitted. It would feel great to wash off all the sweat and grime before bed.

"Then you can go first." Naruto offered, "I put the towels in the bathroom earlier."

"No, you go first." Minato shook his head, "I'll wait." He wouldn't let Naruto put others before him all the time, not anymore. Not after today and their argument. Even if it was just a shower, small things stacked up.

"Are you sure?"

"Perfectly."

 

* * *

 

Sometime later, when Naruto returned, Minato could be seen laying on their fluffy double bed, fast asleep and nuzzling into Naruto's pillow.

"That's why I told you to shower first, silly." He said softly, his heartstrings tugging pleasantly as he slowly crawled onto the bed and took a seat beside the sleeping jounin.

Minato's nose was straight, Naruto noted. And his profile symmetrical, eyebrows elegantly shaped and eyelashes full and rich. Even if he'd never admit it aloud; Naruto liked Minato's lips the most- that and his smile. Because when he smiled, it did funny things to him. It made him feel lighter,  _better_. But that was starting to worry him a little because it was only growing stronger and stronger lately.   
  
_'Kurama?'  
_  
The old fox slowly opened his large red eyes.  _ **'What?'**_  
  
Naruto hesitated all but a few seconds,  _'Is it like before?'_ It couldn't be, could it? But the feeling felt so similar.  
  
Kurama moved his many tails back and forth, contemplating how he should approach the subject. Naruto's feelings were always complicated, and he dug himself into a hole regarding certain things. And romance scared his kit because it always left his heart broken. As much as he enjoyed watching the two make idiots of themselves, he wouldn't encourage something that would hurt him.

 _ **'What do you feel when you look at him?'**_  It was best to be diplomatic, to ease him into it. 

Naruto placed his hand on the opposite side of Minato's body, leaning over him. His eyes moved across his sleeping form; the rising and fall of his chest, his scent, his hair and overall coloring. The way his lips would part when he sighed in his sleep, and the way his hands clutched the pillow that was his.   
  
_'Mine.'_ He whispered in his mind.  
  
Kurama's long row of teeth grew longer, stretching wider.  _Aah, so he's somewhat aware_.  _ **'And why is he yours?'**_  
  
The former Kage tilted his head slightly, contemplating the question as Minato turned his face to the side- stretching and exposing the skin of his neck. Why  _did_ he feel like Minato was his? Why did the idea of him falling in love and leaving him hurt so much? He didn't know.  _'He just is.'_

 _ **'Is that what you want? Minato to be yours alone?'**_  
  
_'It hurts when I think of him leaving me...'_ Naruto admitted softly, throat constricting painfully.  
  
_**'Perhaps,'**_  Kurama allowed,  _ **'But why?'**_  
  
Why? Why, why...?  _'...I'm scared of being alone.'_  
  
The massive chakra construct's ear twitched as he placed his giant head on his paws, _ **'You're never alone, kit. I'm always here, but you're not afraid of being alone. But rather never being loved.'**_

 _'Loved?'_  Naruto moved his hand towards Minato's blond hair, taking a few strands in his hand,  _'Is that what it is?  I'm scared of not being loved?'  
_  
**_'Not quite. You're scared of not being loved back. To have your feelings dismissed as unimportant.'_**  
  
Naruto slipped into his mental plane, his eye speaking of disbelief and doubt,  _'What are you saying?'_

The old Fox rose to his full height, looking down on the young man that he'd watched over since he was born. An extraordinary man.  ** _'I'm saying; that you already know, deep down, that you're in love with him. But you're too pig-headed to admit it.'_** Naruto's eyes widened, a protest crawling up his throat and onto his tongue,  ** _'The mere idea that he won't love you back scares you. But you do, perhaps more than you ever have before. He's not Sakura or Gaara, and it's time you stop treating him as if he was.'_**  
  
_'But I'm not in love with him!'_ Naruto took a desperate step forward, _'I can't be! He- He's my dad!'_  
  
Kurama rolled his eyes,  _' **Now you're just making up excuses. You've said it yourself; he'll never be your father. Your father died, and to this world, your old man is a fisherman.'**_ He sighed heavily,  _' **Why are you even fighting this so much? I assumed you'd be happy about it.'**_  
  
_'I am! Wa- No! I'm not happy! Grr, what the hell Kurama!'_ The young man clutched his hair, his conflicting thoughts driving him insane.   
  
The boy began pacing back and forth on the grass of their shared space, muttering and growling to himself as he tried to come to terms with this new revelation. That continued for several minutes before he abruptly sat down and whimpered into his hands,  _'What the hell am I going to do now? I'm in love with Mina. We live together! We're partners dammit!'_  
  
**_'Personally, I'd just strap him down and take him.'_  **Kurama shrugged, receiving a cry of outrage from the blond man,  _ **'But you ridiculous humans and your pesky emotions always make things complicated. So, tell you what; experiment with him.'**_  
  
His response was an entirely flat look,  _'And what the hell does that mean?'_  
  
The Fox rolled his eyes again. If his kit got any denser, his siblings would laugh at him and hold it against him. _**'Use that damn raisin in your skull!'**_  
  
_'Oi!'_ But Kurama swatted his tail against him, throwing him out of their shared mental plane.

 

Naruto blinked, trying to readjust to the darkness around him. He looked down, Minato was still fasts asleep. Experiment? How the hell did he do that without turning into the pedo-snake version of Oro?  
  
_Crap_. He couldn't think of anything. What time was it anyway?  
  
"Hey, Mina, wake up." He could think about these damn things tomorrow. It was just too damn troublesome right now- as Shikamaru would have said. "You can use the shower now." Naruto shook him gently, making him stir from his sleep. To his own amusement, the blond teenager instantly pouted,  
  
"What?" He whined, unhappy. He'd had such a lovely dream about Naruto, and now it was gone! Gone! Ruined!  
  
"You said you wanted to shower," Naruto reminded mildly, not able to keep the amusement out of his voice, "Did you have a nice dream?"  
  
A silly grin stretched across Minato's face as he remembered it; Naruto whispering sweet things in his ear and- " _Totally._ "   
  
"What was it about?"  
  
Minato opened his mouth to describe it, but then he remembered who he was actually talking to, and snapped it shut. "Dogs." He said instead.  _Very_  intelligently.  
  
Naruto blinked slowly, "...Dogs?"  
  
"...And  _cats._ " He added as an afterthought, a confused expression on his face.  
  
The long-haired blond leaned closer, squinting his eyes while Minato held his breath- praying to anyone that would listen that he wouldn't get called out on his blatant bullshit.  
  
"Liar,-"  
  
_GODDAMMIT! Why!?_  
  
"-It had nothing to do with dogs or cats, did it? Not even animals." Naruto smirked knowingly, "Who was it about?" He teased.  
  
_What was he supposed to say!? Say something! Crap, shit, shit, crap, SHIT-_  "Mitarashi Sayuki." And thus, a section of his heart began to bleed and weep.   
  
Everything in the room seemed to freeze. And Naruto swallowed thickly, "Oh," He said quietly, backing away as Minato slowly sat up, shocked. The older boy's eyes showed how horrified he was, but he couldn't utter a word- too shocked at what he'd found himself saying. He didn't like Sayuki at all! She was a damn menace!  
  
"You should probably take that shower now." Naruto chuckled, entirely forced. He wasn't looking at him,  _couldn't_ , as he suddenly felt horribly betrayed. "You reek." But he didn't, but Naruto couldn't help the comment when his heart was trying to kill him from within.  
  
The comment stung, but Minato said nothing as he made his way off the bed and left the room, tears beginning to burn at the back of his eyes. Why had he said her name? Of all the damn people in the world, why her? Why couldn't he just have said it was a secret or only a random fantasy person? No, he had to go and stab himself in the foot and say  _her_  name.   
  
A tear rolled down his cheek as he entered the bathroom. He'd ruined everything.  _Everything_.  
  
Meanwhile, Naruto clutched his hands until his knuckles turned white. _It's always the same_. He couldn't enjoy the feeling of loving someone for a damn minute before someone else ruined it.  _That fucking Sayuki bitch!_ But his anger turned to mist and disappeared, no matter how hard he tried to hold onto it to make himself feel better- he wasn't angry. But anger was better than pain. And Naruto was in a whole lot of it.   
  
"Damnit!" He forced his eyes shut, refusing to cry again. He'd already lost his shit once today, he wasn't going to do it again. No, instead he rose from the bed, reached for his slippers and left the room behind.  
  
Minato was sitting underneath the shower-head, cold water pouring down on him as a punishment for his horrible mistake. He sobbed, again and again, burying his face in his arms and berated himself for his stupid actions. How could he have done something like that? He wasn't a liar or embarrassed by his feelings for Naruto. If anything, he was proud of them, elated to have them at all. The fact that Naruto was his person of affection just made him even happier. There wasn't a person in the world he'd rather fall in love with. Naruto was great, incredible and just...  _perfect!_  
  
He sobbed again, trying to calm himself but finding that he couldn't. He was cold, freezing underneath the water but all he could think was that he deserved it. He deserved to be cold- just as he always felt when he didn't sleep in Naruto's arms. And now he most definitely wouldn't.   
  
Minato couldn't comprehend how his mind made him say her name when just hours before they'd had an argument about those things exactly. That Naruto didn't want to be in his way when he fell in love with a  _girl_. How Minato assured him that he wasn't going to do that- to leave him for someone else. And then, now, Minato practically slapped him across the face and revealed he already liked a  _girl_.  **Which he didn't!!**  
  
The young jounin left the shower almost an hour and a half after he'd first entered. Teeth chattering and fingers and toes numb. His balance was a little off as he swayed slightly when he walked. It didn't help that he was getting dizzy as well.   
  
He found his way to their room, walking as quietly as he could and willed his teeth to shut the hell up so he wouldn't embarrass himself further. He was so spent, so tired of himself that he couldn't even bring himself to care that he was still crying and that his tears rolled down his cheeks in silence.   
  
His eyes looked to the silhouette of his best friend and crush, a young man he adored with all his heart but had managed to hurt horribly. He'd never hated himself so much before. His face scrunched up, but he refused to sob openly- yet he couldn't stop feeling sorry for himself and for what he'd done.   
  
Meanwhile, Naruto had been sitting outside on the roof for a good hour before he'd calmed down enough to walk back inside and go to bed. Minato hadn't been back yet, but he'd found that he couldn't bring himself to care. He still hurt, and his mind and body were beginning to recode itself in an effort to protect him from heartbreak once again.   
  
He'd laid down on his side on the edge of the bed, his back to the missing Minato and his face staring right into the darkness of the room. It was only the moonlight that made him able to see the door to their ensuite bathroom without tapping into Kurama's chakra. It was only a bathroom with a toilet and a sink, but an ensuite none the less.   
  
Half an hour later Naruto heard Minato return. He closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep and just disappear. He didn't want to remember this day. It sucked so bad that it wasn't even remotely funny.  
  
But he couldn't sleep, not with Minato so close to him. His presence had turned from something beautiful to a thorn, a rash in his side and-  
  
Suddenly, the all too familiar scent of salt reached his enhanced nose. Naruto opened his eyes and frowned,  _salt?_

He focused on the source, trying to pinpoint where it came from. However, to his growing dismay, it came from Minato. Was he crying...?  
  
Naruto clutched his eyes shut, scolding himself for being so damn weak. But he didn't want Minato to cry or be sad. No matter how much it hurt him. As such, he allowed his muscles to relax, and he took a calming breath before he turned around.  
  
Kurama took it upon himself to channel a sliver of chakra to his eyes, allowing him to see clearly in the dark. It changed the appearance of them. From blue to red, but in the dark nobody would see it.   
  
Naruto's mouth felt dry as he saw that Minato was shivering, and crying with a hand over his mouth to silence himself. To prevent him from hearing.  
  
This wasn't right. Not right at all!  
  
He lifted his soft covering, quietly scooting closer to the young teenager. Minato didn't seem to notice, but he did when Naruto's warm hand gently moved over his waist, down his stomach, and pulled him backward and into Naruto's warm embrace.   
  
Minato was withering away inside. But then, suddenly, a warm and slightly calloused hand touched his waist, and slowly moved down to his stomach. When Minato felt Naruto pull him back against his chest- he couldn't keep it together anymore, and he sobbed openly.   
  
"You're freezing Mina... what the hell did you do?" He quickly channeled his chakra to his whole body, slowly working to coat his partner with it as a second skin. Minato would get sick like this- if he weren't already.   
  
Naruto listened as his friend tried to speak, only to have the sobbing interrupt him and make him incoherent. He hated this, hated seeing Minato in such a state. So he removed one of his hands from the ice-cube in his arms, reached for his pillow and puffed it up under his head, and comfortably rested his head on the side of Minato's, his chin at the fold of his neck.   
  
"Sssh." He gently cooed, "Don't be sad."  
  
But if at all possible, Minato cried even harder. Guilt eating away at him as Naruto's kindness tore at his heartless mind and body.   
  
"I'm sorry!" A flicker of shock sparked inside of him as he realized he'd finally managed to say it aloud, and not just chant it in his head. Taking the opportunity and deciding not to waste it, he continued, " _I'm so sorry!_ " Perhaps it was the fact that his body was slowly becoming warmer, and he could feel his toes again that he could actually speak.   
  
"For wh-"  
  
"I lied!" Minato pressed out, his sobbing making him dizzy, "I lied! I panicked, and I lied!"  
  
Naruto moved back a little, turning Minato to the side and forcing him to lay down on his back- right underneath him as he held himself up with an arm. "You're not making any sense." He said gently, his free hand moving up to steady the young teenager who breathed unevenly, eyes filled with tears and chest rising and falling quickly. "You need to calm down." Naruto continued, "You're working yourself into a panic attack."  
  
But he could have been speaking to a wall because it didn't do  _anything._  "I don't like Sayuki! She's insane!" Minato cried desperately.  
  
Naruto's eyebrows shot into his hairline, and he looked down at the hysterical blond in surprise, "But you-"  
  
"I lied! I was embarrassed to tell you who it really was!"  
  
Slowly, ever slowly, the cogwheels were beginning to align and turn in Naruto's head. Comprehension dawning at the pace of a snail. "Who was it then?" He asked because there could be no more misunderstandings. He was tired of them, and he didn't want to be wrong right now. Not anymore.  
  
"...You." Minato sobbed, turning his face away as he hoped his heart would just give out and kill him. This was the worst day of his life.   
  
_Me?_  Naruto's hand moved on its own, gently taking hold of his best friends chin and turned it towards him- forcing Minato to look at him.   
  
He couldn't, so instead of turning away, he closed his eyes, tears rolling down his temples.  
  
"Mina," Naruto spoke gently, his thumb moving underneath his swollen and wet eye, catching several tears. "Hey, look at me. Please."  
  
It hurt, but he did. Forcing his eyes open despite how he'd much rather go blind than face him and his scrutiny.   
  
"It's okay." The taller jounin said softly, "It's okay Mina. Don't cry anymore. I don't like when you're sad." That seemed to have the desired effect, because Minato's breathing turned a little more even, and his sobbing quieted down a fraction. "I forgive you." He whispered, finding that a small smile was impossible to suppress.   
  
Minato's raging storm of emotions began to slowly ebb away, like the calm after a storm. Hearing Naruto saying those words was enough to stop wishing, at the very least, that he'd just die. "I'm sorry." He apologized again, more steady this time, "I don't know what I was thinking."  
  
Naruto shook his head, gently wiping the crying jounin's face with their new duvet. "I forgive you."  
  
Pain gave way to indescribable embarrassment, and Minato raised his hand, turning it around as he placed it across his eyes, seemingly hiding from the world, "I'm such an idiot..." He whispered mournfully, "I'm so damn  _embarrassed_."  
  
An idea formed in Naruto's head. Probably a bad idea. An idea worthy a knucklehead. But as Minato always said; his stupid and reckless idea's had a strange habit of working.   
  
Gathering his courage, he took hold of Minato's wrist, pushing it up and over his head, "I hear I'm an idiot all the time. And I do embarrassing things more than I care for," He swallowed, eyes locked with Minato's. "But I bet I can do something even more embarrassing than what you did."  
  
Minato didn't have the time to question or feel confused. Not when shock overwrote all and every emotion that he had in his body.  
  
Naruto leaned forward, his lips hovering just above his partners- and then he locked them together.  
  
The romantic in Minato caused his eyes to flutter shut, and drown in the strange but blissful feeling of Naruto's warm and soft lips against his. For a moment, he allowed himself to feel nothing but happiness and unrivaled joy.  
  
Meanwhile, Naruto's heart was thundering in his chest, scarcely believing what he was doing. But then again... he didn't hate it. And Minato wasn't pushing him away. Actually, he was pressing a little harder against him...  _responding_.

Naruto slowly pulled back, their lips sticking stubbornly together through a little bit of saliva and tears, but they parted none the less.   
  
"See..." Naruto whispered, his heart abusing the insides of his chest, "That was way more embarrassing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ༼☯﹏☯༽ KYAA~!!! ♥ GO NARU!! ♥
> 
> *Wipes nosebleed* Man, I've been looking forward to this chapter for ages.  
> #TeenageHormonesSuckAndKickYouInTheNuts


	49. Special or Pantry Key?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much fluff~ *Squeal*

It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, not a cloud in sight, and the morning sun was warm and bright. Outside of a house with cream colored walls and black corners were a tree. A tall beech tree with green leaves and a thick crown. In the crown of the said tree was a family of birds. Two adults and three chicks. The five of them started off the day with singing happily together, allowing their beautiful song to carry across the property.

It was a property that was empty. Or so it used to be. All the furniture the place had was a single double bed and a heap of boxes standing in the living room on the first floor. But this property wasn't going to remain that way. Empty, that is.

No, on the second floor, in the master bedroom that had a pair of double doors leading out onto a balcony- overlooking a tall beech tree, there were two sleeping young men on a double bed.

One of them was sleeping on the chest of the other, arms around each other and legs intertwined as they stuck out from underneath a dark grey duvet. Their breathing was even, calm and steady as they continued to sleep while the birds sang outside of their bedroom window.

The first to wake up was the taller of the two.

Naruto awoke to nothing short of happiness. He remembered the day before. The horrible and emotionally trying day that it had been. However, despite how bad it started out and continued throughout the day- the conclusion was nothing short of a miracle.

All it took was a little faith, a kind heart, and some courage. Embarrassing it might have been, but Naruto regretted nothing. That kiss... That kiss that he'd shared with Minato was the highlight of his life- or so it felt.

Maybe it was strange, considering the fact that he was an adult in all but body. But at the same time, was he supposed to wait until he grew older so he could date people the age he'd been once before? His mind was the same, never aging- merely growing wiser. Technically, that would be impossible to do. He was fifteen right now, and he didn't care for wrinkled old bastards the age of the Sandaime. By the time he was close to fifty again, he'd have to date a corpse if he wanted to stay within his mental age.

No, age wasn't a problem. At least not anymore. Because when he thought of Minato, all of the issues and excuses that he would have usually come up with seemed so unimportant. He would merely shrug at the thought of them because he had everything he wanted now. And the devil on his shoulder would never be able to convince him otherwise.

It was merely a kiss. Naruto had kissed people before. His first ever was with Sasuke. And he made a point to deny that one ever happened. Then, of course, that strange Kunoichi that tried to suck out his chakra through a kiss- only to leave screaming.  _Unfortunately_. She was attractive after all.

After that, his memory was vague. But he did remember the kisses he'd shared with Gaara. A steaming romance that lasted all but a few meetings as duty pulled them apart. He missed him, Gaara that is. But only because they had been more than just lovers at the time- good friends and someone that understood him like none before. A Jinchuuriki that lost his bijuu, only to willingly offer to host the large Ichibi Tanuki again, for his protection- should he wish for it. And that is how Shukaku and Gaara became partners, just like Kurama and him.

But even if the handsome red-head flickered through his memory, the image of Minato the day before took precedence, and he allowed his attention to return to the blond in his arms. Minato was still blissfully unaware and sleeping. Basking in the presence of his best friend and crush. Perhaps even the person he loved. It sure leaned that way the more time the two spent together.

Naruto, on the other hand, knew that he loved him. He'd always been quick to fall for someone. It was, as Kurama was kind enough to point out, the act of being loved back that was harder. But if that kiss told him anything; then it was that he had faith that Minato might love him back one day. They were still young. Well, teenagers, but young all the same. He would nurture and care for Minato's feelings, to help build them up and solidify them and make them unbreakable.

That was his wish. His goal.

His fingers moved along Minato's spine, his body soft and warm underneath his touch. But if he didn't imagine it, then Minato had a small fever. No doubt from the ice shower he'd taken the day before. How silly of him...

But it was entirely fond, and instead of making a scene over it, Naruto formed a Clone sign, and a shadow clone appeared beside the bed. His copy didn't need instructions, merely sent him a jealous glare and then left the room without a sound. Minato would need some medicine to quickly get rid of the fever before it got worse.

He could heal injuries, but sicknesses were different. He couldn't cure a fever, only regrow flesh. As such, he'd need to be careful and keep Minato warm until he got better. Although he probably didn't even know he was sick. Too busy sleeping in a blissful state of ignorance.

And Naruto found that he didn't mind the idea of taking care of an ill Minato. He rarely got sick, always taking care of himself. So it was a rare treat to be able to nurse him back to health.

Naruto watched him sleep in silence for a long moment, enjoying the mere sight of him. But when his clone returned with a small bottle of water, some warm miso soup and a small package of medicine- Minato stirred from his sleep.

Minato woke up with a pounding head, but he didn't acknowledge that it was anything but Naruto's heartbeat against his ear.

No, instead he remained still, listening as the beating muscle welcomed him to a brand new day.

Yesterday had been such a damn mess, arguably the worst day in his life- only to become the best day he could remember.

Naruto had kissed him, locked their lips together and  _kissed_  him. Uncomplicated and beautiful.

Happiness warmed his insides, and a smile found it's way to his lips- despite his pounding headache. A headache he concluded came from the continuous crying the day before.

"Morning," a melodious and slightly baritone voice reached his ears, making his smile grow bigger, and his chest warmer. Naruto's voice was so perfect, so beautiful.

Minato hummed softly, too comfortable to speak just yet.

Naruto smiled fondly, raising his hand so that his clone could hand him the medicine.

"Here, take this. Then you can sleep again." He said, nudging Minato's head gently with his hand. "Come on."

A little confused, Minato turned his head upwards to look at the person who held his undeniable affections, wondering what he meant.

It took a moment to pull his eyes away from him and onto the small cup of liquid that had the familiar smell of medicine. Cold medicine.

"Medicine?" Minato asked gently, still a bit confused.

"You have a fever Mina," Naruto explained kindly, holding the small cup up so his partner could take it.

He did but appeared somewhat unconvinced that he'd actually be sick. "How'd I get sick?"

"Oh, I don't know." The tall jounin mused aloud, "Maybe that ice shower you took for an hour and a half?"

Minato cleared his throat sheepishly, hitting back the cup of medicine in one go and grimaced. It was pretty nasty, "Right."

"You should finish the soup too. It'll make you feel better."

"Soup?" But as if the word activated his sense of smell, the familiar scent of warm miso soup made its way to his nose, and his stomach growled.

The clone leaned over the bed, the soup in hand and handed it to Minato who took it, sending a grateful smile at the copy.

It was warm, and steam rose from it and showed that it was recently made.

He pushed himself up into a sitting position, sitting down in a lazy lotus and held the plastic bowl with both of his hands.

Meanwhile, Naruto sat up as well, but reached for the duvet and draped it around Minato's shoulders to keep him warm.

"What are we doing today?" Minato asked in between spoons of soup.

" _We_  aren't doing anything." He said mildly, " _You're_  staying in bed until your fever disappears."

"I feel fine." The sickling assured, but only received an amused and raised eyebrow. As if the world mocked him; Minato sneezed, startling himself.

"All peachy, I'm sure." Naruto chuckled, an embarrassed expression forming on his best friend's face.

Minato finished the soup, the clone taking the empty plastic bowl away from him and then dispelled. The young jounin laid back down, moving a little closer to Naruto who joined him. He was rewarded with a pair of strong arms wrapping around him, locking him to the source of his warmth. Minato's heart pounded, a hint of pink dusting his cheeks as he rested his head on Naruto's shoulder.

They were close, so,  _so_  very close. And it was with that final thought that Minato's medicine kicked in, and he drifted back to sleep, a happy smile on his lips.

 

* * *

 

The numerous copies all but glared at their original who sat comfortably against the headboard of his bed while a handsome blond teenager used his thigh as a pillow and held it in a firm and shameless embrace. He probably wouldn't have done that if he was awake and aware of what he was doing, but Naruto didn't mind at all.

He'd play with Minato's soft locks while he sat with his planner, making lists and brainstorming about their new house and what he could do with it. He'd leave the library and office to Minato, just as he'd said before. But that left the kitchen that was mostly his domain. For what it was worth, Naruto loved to cook.

Once he'd actually learned how to cook after his training trip with Jiraiya, Ramen only became ten percent of his diet, not ninety-nine. It also helped that ever since Tsunade became Hokage, people rarely overpriced things anymore. One could say that he finally could afford to be healthy. Sad as it was.

At the same time, his clones were moving in and out of the room like shadows, silent as death as they made sure not to wake the beautiful angel that was fast asleep and recovering from his small encounter with a fever.

They all sent concerned looks at him, wanting to curl up around him and shower him with kisses and hugs and love. But thankfully, the original was far more rational and sane than his clones. The fact that they openly pouted when Minato nuzzled a little more into Naruto's thigh,  _their thigh,_ was proof enough, and Naruto vowed to never leave Minato alone with them- or they'd ravage him.

And that pissed Naruto off.  _Minato was_ ** _his!_**

**However...**

Naruto eyes instantly fluttered shut as he leaned his head back and tried to think of dead kitten and puppies.

_Think of something really bad! Something bad! Jiraiya having sex with Orochimaru! Goddamnit anything!! Rabbit! Rabbits and Kaguya! Ah-! It's working. Rabbit, rabbit, rabbits!!_

Minato's hand slowly slid ever further up his thigh, unknowing and innocent, but he was moving closer and closer to Naruto jewels, and that made the tall jounin contemplate waking the blond up unless he wanted to find himself stuck between Minato's hand a hard place.

**Literally.**

But as fate would have it; such a thing proved unnecessary as Minato's hand moved back down and the sleeping blond let out a small sigh- finally waking up again. Much to Naruto's growing relief.

Minato stirred, consciousness slowly crawling back to him as he took in a scent that was so distinctively Naruto that he didn't require much thinking to realize he slept on him again. Something he seemed to do a lot. But now he was very self-conscious of it.

However, those thoughts disappeared in an instant when he felt Naruto's fingers move through his hair, caressing him lovingly. It warmed Minato's heart, and a small smile stretched across his lips.

"Do you feel better?"

A pleasant shiver ran down his spine at the sound of his voice, "A lot better." And he did. His headache was gone, and he didn't feel like he'd stood outside in the pouring rain in his boxers anymore. In other words; he wasn't freezing cold.

"Are you strong enough to go to a restaurant, or do you want me to cook for you?" Naruto asked softly, fingers still moving through his hair.

"We can go out," Minato moved around from the side, laying down on his back as he looked up at his crush. Actually, it was more like the guy he liked. Or fancied. But regardless, Naruto looked stunning- like usual, "But I need a shower first."

"I'll make a bath for you," Naruto said, "So you can take your time."

He'd never felt so cared for before. Minato recalled the few times he'd been sick at the orphanage, and it wasn't all that pleasant when your roommate hated you. But this was different. Naruto, by the state of the bed and the small stack of books on it, had stayed with him all day- caring for him.

"What have you done today?" Minato pushed himself up, running a hand through his mess of a blond mop, and leaned up against Naruto's shoulder instead. However, Naruto moved his arm, slipping it around him and pulled him closer, allowing him to curl up into his side.

"Making lists of things we need." The jounin explained, "And trying to figure out what we should do with the place. But my sense of fashion and design is horrible, I've noticed. Everything would just be orange."

"That's not true." Minato looked up at him, "I think you look great. And so did everything else in the other house."

Naruto smiled softly, his eyes growing fonder, "Miwa-san uses me as his canvas whenever I'm in Uzu. I'm only responsible for my clothes. And the house was all Ero-Sennin with firm guidance from Baachan."

Minato's cheeks puffed up slightly. He still thought Naruto was the best! Orange and everything!

"But," Naruto nudged his head with his, "Thank you, Mina."

A faint blush dusted his cheeks, not enough to be seen, but he felt it, "You're welcome."

"What do you want to eat?"

"Anything you want." Because he could eat just about anything at the moment. Even some things that probably wasn't all that healthy either. Put him down in front of a stack of cakes, and he'd eat the lot of them.

"You'll need protein to regain your strength, so let's go to Chouza's family's Yakiniku restaurant? Their selection is pretty good."

Minato nodded, smiling as he bit his bottom lip. Naruto was so thoughtful and sweet, always thinking of him. He knew Naruto could forget about himself, but he vowed that when he got the chance, he'd spoil him rotten too.

"Sounds good?"

"Perfect." He allowed his eyes to close, enjoying the closeness and warmth Naruto emitted.

Naruto blinked a couple of times, new memories flooding his mind. "You're bath is ready. My clones left a change of clothes for you as well."

He didn't want to leave, but he couldn't sit beside Naruto with a good conscious and look like a hot mess. No, he'd take the bath Naruto so kindly prepared for him, and then go to dinner with him. That sounded like a perfect plan. "I won't be long."

"Don't worry about it, take your time, Mina."

With another smile, Minato slipped out from underneath his arm, scooting over the bed and left the room.

There were clones all over the house, measuring the walls, windows, and even the floors. Writing down measurements so that they could buy the right amount of paint, wallpaper, curtains, and carpets. It made Minato feel a little bad since he'd apparently slept through most of the grunt work. But then again, Naruto didn't seem to mind.

When he took the final turn to reach the bathroom, he almost collided with a clone that carried a couple of books. "I'm sorry," It said, quickly looking him over to make sure he was alright. "Are you alright Mina-chan?"

Minato blinked slowly, "I'm fine Naru,"

_Mina-chan...? That's new._

"Oh, that's good." The clone let out a sigh of relief. He balanced the books in his hands, leaned over and softly kissed him on the side of his forehead, "Wouldn't want you to get hurt. Boss would kick my ass." And thus he continued through the hallway and entered one of the guest bedrooms.

Meanwhile, the blond teenager lifted a hand to his forehead, touching the spot he'd just been kissed. It was just a clone, but it was still Naruto, so Minato was entirely justified to the goofy-looking smile he had as he entered the bathroom with a new lightness to his steps.

Naruto's clones had a habit of going against Naruto's wishes, doing whatever they wanted. So he knew that it might not have been what he normally would have done- but that was alright. It still made him happy, even if it wasn't 'real.'

As he undressed and lowered himself into the bath that smelled of vanilla and lavender, he thought of his partner. A blond teenager he was unquestionably crazy about. The day before, right after Naruto kissed him, he'd been so beside himself with joy and disbelief that he'd been unable to say a word when Naruto whispered a soft 'goodnight' in his ear. It took a couple of hours before he'd been able to fall asleep after that, but that was only because he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Naruto  **kissed him!**

 _And_  because the memory was running through his mind on a repeat.  _Not that he minded._

The feeling of Naruto's lips against his, and the way his hot breath tickled his skin.  _God..._ he wanted to kiss him again. And then again and  _again_  and  ** _again_**. But there was a hint of hesitance in him, because was it a fluke what happened the day before? A spur of the moment thing? Or was it just the first of many? Minato couldn't help but hope it was the last one, yet he felt himself lacking the courage to try and find out at the moment.

The soft kiss from the clone helped soothe some of his worries, but it wouldn't count unless it was Naruto himself that did it.

Minato sank beneath the surface of the warm water. Would Naruto reject him if he kissed him too?

 

* * *

 

Naruto and Minato appeared before the restaurant in a bright yellow flash. And it didn't take long before the hairs on Minato's body rose up, warning him about-

"Minato-kun!~"

Inwardly he cringed, slowly turning around as Sayuki left through the entrance of the restaurant, throwing herself straight at him. He didn't have enough strength to dodge, and thus found himself with a woman around him, clinging to him and pressing her ample cleavage to his chest.

Naruto frowned but said nothing. Even if what happened the day before wasn't more than a misunderstanding, he wanted to see how Minato would respond to her- if only to finally bury some of his own worries and doubts.

"Sayuki." Minato allowed himself to acknowledge. He was too tired to say much more, his head still pounding a little, but not enough to work as an excuse to tell her to piss off.

But all those reservations came to a screeching halt when he felt a pair of moist and slightly sticky lips touch his cheek. Pink lipstick smudging onto his tanned cheek as his skin crawled unpleasantly. He raised his hands, taking hold of her arms and pushed her away, although gently since his own strength was not where it used to be.

"Don't do that," He used the foot of his hand to remove the pink yuckie thing from his cheek. "Wha-"

"What happened to you?" She suddenly said, alarmed and raised her hands and cupped his cheeks as she looked at his slightly puffy and red eyes. "Have you been crying?" Her head snapped to the side, glaring murderously at the taller blond, "What did you do to my Minato-kun?!" She hissed furiously.

Naruto glared back at her but held his tongue. It wouldn't do to make a scene right now. Not here.

Sayuki took a step towards him, placing herself between the two blonds as she shoved her hand against his chest, "What did you do!?" She demanded. "You made-  _Ow!_ Minato-kun..?"

Minato's fingers dug into the skin of her arm, and he scowled heatedly. " _Don't touch him!_ " He all but growled, taking a step towards her, towering over the raven-haired beauty and she frowned. " _And get your hands off of him!_ "

"What's with you?!" Sayuki snapped back, turning her back on Naruto who watched it all in silence- but a sliver of happiness bubbling inside of his stomach. "You look like a damn mess, and you still defend him!"

"You have  _no idea_ what you're talking about," Minato warned, his temper flaring. This woman had already gotten between him and Naruto before, and he'd be damned if it happened again. Naruto was  _his!_  "Just quit it already!"

He took a step around her, separating his partner from her as he placed himself between them- pressing his back into Naruto's warm chest. "You should leave."

Sayuki clutched her fists until her knuckles turned white. This wasn't over, she'd make him see that Naruto was a damn loser! There was no way that she'd lose Minato to  _him_.

"Fine," She raised her chin defiantly, "I'll see you later Minato-kun.  _Uzumaki_."

Naruto raised his brow, unimpressed and a little bit amused. She obviously didn't have all her cogwheels in working order.

The two of them watched her leave, her hips swaying just enough to make people stop and stare, and enough to make Minato grimace.  _Urgh,_ ** _god!_**

"Let's go." He glared at the retreating figure, stilled irritated. Reaching out for Naruto's arm, he pulled him into the restaurant, nodding politely to the chef and dragged the jounin into the back where the booths were located.

He more or less pushed him inside, moving in right after.

It was quiet, his boiling blood starting to settle down and his temper slowly returning to normal.

Meanwhile, Naruto watched him in silence. Eyes shimmering with mirth and  _something_  that caused him to want to touch him,  _explore him.._ _._ It didn't take long until Minato took a deep breath, releasing the last of his frustration and looked up.   
_  
Oh shit_.

"Ah-! I'm sorry!" He bowed his head, inches away from slamming it into the table.

It was difficult not to laugh, so Naruto didn't bother trying to stop the urge. "It's fine, relax! You handled that pretty well." He smirked, then reached for a tissue, "But you still got some of that on your cheek."

Minato quickly began to rub it, wanting to remove all traces of lipstick as it made him feel dirty. To his own surprise, Naruto gestured for him to come closer, waving his tissue around.

Embarrassed, he complied, scooting across the seat and right to his side.

Naruto dipped the tissue in a glass of water, raising his hand to tilt Minato's face a little to the side, and gently began to remove the lipstick from his cheek.

"I'm sorry she pushed you... That was wrong."

"I can handle angry women. And you don't have to apologize for her."

"I can't help it... I'm the reason she acted like that." Minato looked up at him, the two of them being awfully close to one another all of a sudden. He swallowed, his gaze moving from Naruto's startling cerulean eyes to his alluring lips. They looked so, so  _inviting_.

Maybe... maybe he could just-?

Courage came out of nowhere, and the shorter of the two reached up, his finger weaving into Naruto's long hair- and gently tugged him forward.

Nothing else was needed to bring him close enough to kiss- so Minato did. Gently locking their lips together once again, and desperately tried to not shout in celebration when Naruto didn't push him away.

Perhaps this meant that Naruto liked him too?

The feeling of having his bottom lip softly nibbled and gently tugged on left him dizzy as Naruto's warm and soft lips moved against his own like a hypnotizing caress. But the thing he liked the most was the firm hold on the back of his head, locking him in place as Naruto laid claim to his lips.

Minato was melting, swimming and basking in the euphoric sensation that kissing Naruto brought him. He moved his hand from his neck, sliding it further back and locked it with his other one. At the same time, he could feel Naruto's hands move down his body, and circle around his waist until he pulled him forward and into his chest.

A soft gasp escaped him, pleasantly surprised by his boldness. Not that he minded. Not at all.

Unbeknownst to the two kissing young men; one of the temporary waiters had come over to take their orders, only to quickly leave, and then bring another two waiters back with him.

Inoichi was staring shamelessly, mouth agape. Poor Chouza hid behind his hands, and Shikaku was mentally rubbing his hands together and cackling madly.

**He fucking knew it!**

Shikaku cleared his throat loudly, a smugness to his face that was impossible to miss. He watched with glee as Minato and Naruto quickly parted, eyes widening as a horrible blush appeared on both of their faces.

Despairingly, the duo turned to face the ' _waiters_.'

Shikaku smirked victoriously, "And what can we get for the two of you this _fine_ evening? Today's special? Or the key to the pantry and a pack of condoms?" His teammates snickered.

The multitude of flying objects aimed at his head was  **totally**  worth it.  
  
And he didn't have a lick of regret when he later pressed a frozen package of peas against his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll get more plotty once their vacation is over. This is Mina/Naru time! （☆ω☆*）


	50. Dark Plum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I usually update twice on the weekend, but I've just had such a shitty few days that I haven't been able to bring myself to write more than one chapter *sadface* (I seriously struggled with this chapter. I wrote >five< different versions of it...)
> 
> Anyway! I wanted to point something out that I keep getting comments on; regarding the Seme/Uke situation(something I didn't feel was necessary to talk about before). If you're reading this fic with the hope of seeing a specific Seme or Uke- then you'll be disappointed. When I write slash, I don't write characters that stick to one side of the spectrum. There won't be a specific seme or uke simply because that doesn't appeal to me as a writer. They're going to have their moments as both, and that feels more realistic to me. 
> 
> Japan has this thing of making one character distinctively feminine, and I freaking hate that. I'm not into it, and I hate reading it. Not to mention writing it. One might argue that Minato appears to be the "uke" in the relationship. But I disagree. Don't forget that this is the first time he's fallen in love with someone, and all these feelings are new and a little embarrassing to him. They're also teenagers with raging hormones. We've all been there. *Looks at anything with a sixpack and drools*

"I'm sorry, Kakashi." His father placed a hand on his head, regret in his eyes but entirely resigned, "It's an emergency, and they need a qualified jounin for this mission."

"But why does it have to be you?" Kakashi argued. It was his birthday soon. Why did it have to be today?!

" _Kakashi_ ," He warned, but then his eyes softened again, "I'm a shinobi, and so are you. We don't get to pick."

The boy of five nodded, upset but mature enough to bite his tongue and remain silent. He was a genin, a ninja. He was an adult too- at least according to law.

"Stay safe." He said quietly,  _praying_ \- just as he always did- that his father would come back to him when his mission was over.

"Of course." Sakumo ruffled the hair of his son, "Jiraiya-sama will be looking after you until I return. Behave yourself, alright?"

"When don't I?"

Sakumo levelled him with a flat look, and Kakashi had the decency to look embarrassed. "I will." He muttered.

"Alright, I'll be back before you know it." And with those words, Sakumo left Kakashi outside of the Sannin's house.

The boy watched his beloved father leave, the man he respected the most in the entire world. Even more than the Hokage. His father was the best there was. Nobody could match him. Nobody.

Especially not the damn idiot Sannin with white hair.

Kakashi turned around, grimacing. This was the first time he'd been at the man's house. Otherwise, Jiraiya was always at the Hatake estate and babysat him there. Because that's exactly what the man did. His father asked Jiraiya to teach him a thing or two- but he never did. Always sitting with his perverted books and writing nonsense that nobody cared to read. The man was utterly useless.

"Stupid Sannin." He grumbled, pushing past the gates and let them slam against the wall with a 'bang!'. Kakashi could care less if he disturbed the peace, and especially the Sannin's.

He was sick of being dropped off whenever his father had a mission outside of the village. He was a shinobi too! He could go with him!

Kakashi all but pounded his fist against the house-door, glaring at the offending building as if it had wronged him somehow.

It was to the sound of footsteps that he took a step backward, not wanting to get the door slammed in his face.

The door opened, revealing a tall blond woman with a chest that was poorly hidden behind the white towel she currently had wrapped around her. "Oh, it's you." She said, taking a moment to notice the short chibi-Kakashi on their doorstep. "What's up?"

"I was dropped off here." Kakashi crossed his arms, a tickmark starting to pulse on his forehead. He could be doing something better than this! Like training or something!

"It's _Saturday_ ," Tsunade stated, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Alright, whatever, come on in. But we're going out later."

The small Hatake hated this- feeling like he was in the way, but knowing that he didn't have to be if people would just trust that he could take care of himself- because he _could_. He made genin for a reason, but people treated him like a kid anyway!

"Wait here; I'll get him."

Kakashi sat down on the floor, hearing Tsunade leave as she grumbled under her breath about _'lazy and perverted bastards.'_ The woman was obviously insane.

_"What?"_ The boy heard from upstairs, feeling a tinge of hurt and irritation settle inside of him. He didn't ask to be here! _"Fine, fine! I've got it."_

Another pair of footsteps came from the staircase, much louder and seemingly heavier until it stopped as Jiraiya reached the hallway.

"Yo, kid. Wasn't expecting you today." He saluted, only dressed in his boxers and a pair of frog slippers on his feet that most likely belonged to someone a lot smaller than him. Probably a kid. Why he was wearing them- and his underwear backwards, he didn't want to know. He'd obviously caught them at a bad moment.

"Obviously." He just wanted to go home.

Jiraiya scratched his chin, feeling troubled and a little caught with his pants down. He'd been up all night with Hime and Teme- making plans to save the world and whatnot. That is until they popped open a sake bottle and became an incoherent mess. Not to mention the fact that they all woke up stark naked in bed, limbs tangled together and a suspicious-looking stack of cards scattered around them. And let's not even talk about the fact that Orochimaru had more hickey's on him than Jiraiya had ever seen before. In **a lot** of places... _in different sizes_ \- indicating at least _two_ people being responsible for them... And since there were only two other people aside from Orochimaru himself... _well._ Unless he'd learned how to extend his neck again and decided to give himself a hickey by the groin, then Jiraiya had a sneaking suspicion that he and Hime might be the ones responsible for that.

All in all, it was most likely one of those evenings that would go down in the _'We're not talking about that'_ -basket of topics that they'd began filling up over the years.

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in the Sannin's head, and he smirked wickedly, "Tell you what kid. I've got _just_ the thing." With that, he reached down, took hold of his hand, and more or less dragged the poor genin out of the house despite his protests, onto the street while Kakashi wanted to die from embarrassed mortification, down the road to the neighbouring house, through another gate and up to the front door.

Jiraiya knocked, _or banged_ , on the door, "Express delivery!" He shouted.

"Alright, _stay._ " He raised his hands, acting like the Hatake boy was nothing short of a dog, "They're going to babysit you today. I'm busy. Catch you later brat!" And thus he walked off, frog slippers squeaking as they were much too small for him, and his underwear backwards.

It took everything Kakashi had not to shout a long series of profanities he'd heard his father say, and merely go back home. And it was on his mind to do just that; however, at the sound of the front door unlocking, that thought came to a screeching halt, and Kakashi was forced to stay put- _like a good little dog._

Meanwhile, Naruto pulled the door open, not sure what delivery he was expecting. "Hello?" He asked the moment he felt the fresh morning air on his face, eyes scanning around him to see the delivery man.

"Down here," Kakashi muttered, letting out an irritated sigh as he glared into the distance, not even bothering to look at the person Jiraiya had dumped him on. Could this day get any worse?

Taken aback, Naruto blinked slowly. If he wasn't mistaken, then he was looking at a _chibi-Kakashi._ "Ah, sorry. Can I help you with something?" Why was Kakashi standing on his doorstep?

"That stupid frog Sannin dumped me here." Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest again, finally turning up to glare at the person he was talking to... only to feel his mouth go dry and his eyes widen in shock.

_Oh crap. Oh crap, Oh crap, crap, crap, crap...!_

It was the _Yellow Maelstrom!!_ The youngest chunin to have _ever_ lived in Konoha! Naruto participated in the war in Uzushio before he was even _born!_ His father spoke about him _all the time_ \- comparing their ages to encourage him to grow stronger and to show that age wasn't a restriction for a shinobi!

"S-sorry." He bowed his head a little, feeling a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. Why couldn't he have listened to his father when he'd asked him to behave!? Now he'd messed up!

"Eeh? Ero-sennin dropped you off just like that?" Naruto frowned, glancing at the neighbouring house. "Ah!" He snapped his fingers together, "Are you the one Jiji keeps making him babysit?"

_Ero-sennin? ... Jiji?_

"I'm... not sure. Who are they?" His confusion was painfully apparent on his young face.

"Jiraiya and old man Hokage." Naruto felt the corner of his lips pull up in a small smile. Kakashi was so _darn cute!!_ If the old one could see this version of himself- he'd cuddle him to **death!**

He'd kept his ears open about Kakashi, but he hadn't been born when he first arrived, and then he'd been just a small kid. Not to mention, Sakumo moved in different jounin circles from them- and they'd never actually crossed paths a lot. This was the first time he'd actually met this Kakashi.

"'Ero-sennin'... it fits." The genin allowed, glaring towards the neighbouring house while he decided that _'Ero-sennin'_ was to become the new name for the useless Sannin. Not more than he deserved.

"Anyway," Naruto crouched down, "The name's Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you."

The young genin turned back around, looking down onto the ground, feeling strangely shy, "Hatake Kakashi." He said quietly.

"Ah, so you're the famous Kakashi." The jounin smirked, inwardly cackling as his chibi-sensei stared at him in disbelief, "Quite a feat to graduate the Academy at five. Good job! Not a lot of people can do that."

"It's not a big deal," But the faint blush on his cheeks and his foot digging into the ground said otherwise. It felt pretty awesome to be praised by someone he and his father admired. Well, his father did- so that meant that Kakashi did too.

"Well, no point standing out here all day. Come in." Naruto rose to his full height, taking a step to the side and let the small child inside. The silver-haired boy looked around- noting how empty and white everything was. Seeing the questioning look on his face, Naruto decided to explain, "We moved in two days ago. But Mina's sick right now so we haven't gotten started yet. Though I thought I'd get some painting done while he sleeps."

"Namikaze-san?" Kakashi followed the man into the kitchen, curiously looking around himself. It was a nice house. A big one too.

"Yeah, he's got a pretty nasty fever- nothing that's contagious, but he's out cold right now. So if you go upstairs, you'll have to be quiet." Naruto took a seat on one of the kitchen counters since they didn't have a table or chairs yet. He then gestured to the one opposite him, silently watching as Kakashi made his way onto it with a little help of chakra to his feet.

"So what is it you usually do with Ero-sennin? You're obviously not in need of a babysitter." Because despite his age, Naruto knew that Kakashi had never been incapable of taking care of himself.

Relief flooded the young boy. Finally, someone saw that he didn't need a damn babysitter! "My father doesn't want me to be alone when he leaves on missions, so he makes that useless Sannin take care of me and hopes he'll teach me something. Or he's supposed to anyway. He just keeps writing those stupid books."

_Oh, the irony._

"Yeah, he's not the best babysitter there is. I'd know." He snorted, reaching to his side to grab a glass of water from the tap, and then another one as he used a bit of chakra to send the first flying through the air and into Kakashi's reach. The boy caught it, but not without a bit of surprise and awe sparkling in his eyes. Pushing a solid object with just chakra was no easy feat. And Naruto made it seem as natural as breathing. Not to mention, he'd sent the glass in a small _arch_ \- through the _air!_

"Are you wind natured?" Kakashi wondered as making something fly should be impossible with just chakra alone. There had to be more to it.

"You figured that out from just seeing it once?" Naruto sipped on his water, secretly impressed by his old sensei's observation skills.

The boy nodded, deciding to wait to drink his water since he didn't want to pull his mask down.

"Cool." The jounin said, the boy blushing again. "So, has Ero-sennin taught you anything useful yet?"

A small tickmark began to twitch on Kakashi's forehead, and he rubbed it in irritation.

_Aaaah~ Leave it to Ero-sennin to mess with Kakashi just because he could._

"I take that as a no." Naruto chuckled, "Still," He leaned backward, fixing Kakashi with a firm look, "I don't have time to babysit anyone. Much less today."

Kakashi clutched his fist tightly, swallowing thickly. He hated being pushing from place to place just because his father worried about him. He could take care of himself! Nobody-

" _But,_ " Naruto continued, silencing Kakashi's thoughts, "I could use the help of a _shinobi._ If you're interested. I'll pay you for it- _of course_."

The boy blinked, "A _mission?_ " He'd only gone on a few D-ranks so far.

"It might not be much," The jounin allowed, "But it's an important mission, at least to me." The boy nodded, excitement bubbling inside of him, "As you can tell; this place is a mess. Boxes everywhere and everything's white and dull. I haven't gotten around to doing anything yet since I don't want to decide on anything without Mina's input, but he needs to stay in bed- and this place needs a serious paint job before we can buy furniture. Right now the two of us have a two-week vacation, and roughly a week and a half left. I want to get everything in working order before then."

Kakashi nodded again. It was not a lot of time to paint the entire inside of a house. "So you need help painting?" He could do that. Not the most exciting mission, but definitely more exciting them painting the damn fence by the Academy. At least now he was doing it for someone who actually _needed_ his help- not just because he was lazy.

"Yeah. Not the most thrilling mission ever, but it would help a lot with the extra hands. And since he's sick, I don't want him to do anything that can tire him out- like painting the rooms. So it's either doing it alone," He smiled slightly, "Or asking for help." His face turned meaningful, and Kakashi nodded seriously.

"I'll help."

"Thanks." The jounin raised his hand in a peace-sign, "Consider it your first A-rank."

_"A-A-rank?!"_ The boy stuttered, utterly bewildered. It was just a pair of walls that needed painting!!

Naruto grinned, jumping down from the kitchen counter, "Of course. Consider it a stealth mission too- cuz we can't wake Mina up."

_Oh, that made a bit more sense._ "Right!"

Inwardly Naruto squealed, _chibi Kakashi-sensei was so cute!!!_ He'd forever cherish the moment Kakashi's eyes burned with determination for a simple _D-rank mission_.

 

* * *

 

"Uzumaki-san-"

"Naruto is fine," Naruto quickly corrected, sliding his large brush across the white walls and left behind a lovely pale yellow as the wall slowly began to transform and come to life.

"Naruto-san, if you didn't have the chance to start working on the house before this, how come you know what colors to paint with? Didn't you say that you didn't want to do anything without Namikaze-san?" Kakashi furrowed his brows. He didn't want to re-paint everything if Namikaze-san didn't like it.

Which, to be honest, was a fair question.

"I took Mina to a restaurant yesterday, and we talked about it. We decided the colors for a couple of rooms, but not all of them." He would have continued the conversation back then if Minato hadn't dozed off in their booth. His fever had spiked, and then he'd been out for the rest of the evening and night.

Naruto had been forced to carry him home on his back. _Not that he minded._

"What other rooms are there after this one?" So far he only knew about one: the one they were painting. The living room was going to be a pale yellow.

"Kitchen," Naruto recalled, "I've got a bucket of silver-grey paint for that one. Should look pretty cool, I think. And then the library in a dark red, and the office in a  _dark plum,_ whatever that is. Mina picked it out and apparently it's a colour." He shrugged, not minding in the least since Minato could have whatever he wanted. A happy Mina was a happy Naru.  
  
Besides, Minato obviously had a better sense of interior design than he had. Although the kitchen was all his. Since he cooked ninety-nine percent of their food- he got to pick the color for the kitchen. As long as it wasn't _orange._  
  
The two of them continued to paint all morning, only stopping a couple of times to eat a sandwich or drink something. It was when they'd finished the living room and kitchen that their work came to a halt.  
  
Naruto sensed his chakra signature approaching- not that he was super quiet, but not loud enough to notice unless you listened to it.   
  
Naruto and Kakashi stood shirtless in the study- mixing the dark plum(or dark purple) with a piece of wall strip. It was starting to get warmer outside as the sun continued to rise higher and higher into the sky.   
  
Minato could tell that Naruto was painting, the scent carrying up to the second-floor hallway. He felt bad, being so weak and dizzy that he couldn't help. However, it was the second, much smaller chakra signature that had him curious. In the back of his mind, there was a sliver of worry that it was a female friend of his, or maybe another person he'd never met before. Yet the rational side of his brain scolded him and told him that he was just being stupid. But Minato couldn't help but dislike the idea of Naruto being alone with someone else.   
  
So he'd made his way downstairs, swaying a little on his feet as he moved through their home with a purpose.  
  
The moment he made to turn towards the door of the study, a tall  _shirtless_  jounin stepped out of the room. He was conflicted, his heart hurting at the thought of Naruto standing shirtless with someone else, and at the same time trying to stop himself from leaning forward and licking his skin.   
  
"Ah, you're awake." Naruto said gently, softly, as his eyes crinkled at the edges in a smile, "Do you feel better?"  
  
"I'm fine," Minato felt his fever rise- or maybe a blush. One couldn't be certain. "Do we have guests?"  
  
The blond and tall jounin blinked, his mouth forming a small 'o' before he grinned, "I hired some help."  
  
 _Hired...?_  
  
He stepped to the side, allowing Minato to look inside of the room- only to see a tiny boy standing with a giant paintbrush in his hand, yellow and grey paint marks all over his face and arms.   
  
He was such an _idiot._ _Of course,_ Naruto wouldn't bring a _girl_ over... _such an idiot..._  
  
"Hello," Minato said kindly, **crushing** the jealousy instantly, and leaned against the door frame as Kakashi moved closer, "I'm Namikaze Minato. What's your name?"  
  
The boy bowed politely, "Hatake Kakashi." The genin informed. At the same time the young boy noticed the glistening sweat on the jounin's forehead, and how pale and slightly pink his cheeks were. _Fever,_ he decided. Naruto wasn't kidding when he'd said that Minato was sick. But did this mean that he'd failed the mission? They'd been discovered, hadn't they?  
  
As if the question was on Naruto's mind too, he said, "You should be in bed, Mina." He wrapped his arm around the teenager's waist, "You're burning up."  
  
Minato, a little embarrassed but skilled enough to hide it- went for the best excuse he could come up with; "I was getting hungry." Which wasn't a **total** lie.  
  
Fondness warmed Naruto's eyes and they softened, "Come on. I'll make you something." He then turned to Kakashi, "Do you want to take a break or continue painting? I'll make you something to eat as well."  
  
"I'll continue painting until the foods done." Kakashi moved back to the newly opened paint bucket. "If that's alright?"  
  
"That's fine. Just make sure to drink that water I got you. It's getting warm outside."  
  
"I will, Naruto-san." The boy bowed again, watching the two teenagers leave.  
  
Meanwhile, Minato leaned into Naruto's side- heart beating wildly in his chest at being so close to the person he liked more than anything in the world. _And it sure helped that he was shirtless and a little sweaty._  
  
"Are you drinking properly?" Naruto asked softly, turning his attention towards the slightly shorter blond.   
  
"I've finished all of it." There were several bottles of water by his bedside when he'd woken up that morning. No doubt from Naruto. How he'd managed to keep them cool all this time was hard to say- probably through seals of some sort.   
  
"That's good. You won't get better if you get dehydrated." He steered them into the newly painted kitchen.  
  
The sickling looked around, pleasantly surprised, "This looks great Naru!" The silver-grey Naruto had previously talked about left him a little skeptic, but now that he saw it for himself- he honestly had to admit that it looked pretty amazing with their new kitchen.   
  
"You think?" He smiled down at him, butterflies erupting in his stomach at the praise. He'd been worried when Minato seemed a little hesitant.   
  
"It does." Minato leaned his head onto his shoulder, tilting his head up to smile at him, "It's perfect."  
  
Naruto's hand found its way to his cheek, and he gently caressed it with his thumb, "The walls are still wet, so you'll have to sit on the counter."  
  
"That's okay."  
  
And thus Naruto walked him towards the kitchen counter, helping him up on it as he made his way to the refrigerator to take out some vegetables to cook with.   
  
Minato watched him in silence, leaning against the cold white tiles on the wall while Naruto worked. He'd watched him plenty of times in the kitchen, but it never ceased to amaze him how magical he looked when he moved around with such practiced ease that he could have made professionals look like amateurs.   
  
It wasn't until the miso soup was boiling on the stove, rice was cooking in the rice cooker, and the slow-cooker took care of their meat- that Naruto turned back to his partner who'd been completely silent the whole time.   
  
"You look warm."  
  
"I am," Minato admitted.   
  
The time-traveler reached for one of their new towels and turned the tap on, wetting the white fabric before squeezing most of it out again.   
  
It felt like a cold but refreshing breeze on a hot summer day the moment Naruto placed the towel at the back of his neck. He couldn't stop the soft moan of appreciation when some of the scorching heat left him. He leaned forward, onto Naruto's shoulder as he savored the feeling of his presence and the blissful towel over his neck.   
  
"The food will be ready soon."  
  
Minato merely hummed, acknowledging his words but not really caring. He was too comfortable at the moment. Content. He wrapped his arm around Naruto's neck, being a bit taller than him as he sat on the counter.   
  
Naruto pulled him closer, taking a firm hold of his hips and sliding him towards his body. "About yesterday," He started, one of his hands moving to the small of Minato's back, "We never got to finish."  
  
This time it wasn't the fever that made Minato's cheeks pink. "We didn't." He agreed, his heart abusing the inside of his ribcage.  
  
"We probably won't be able to finish now either," The former Kage murmured, raising his head a little, "But I'd like to think," Their lips drew closer- breath mingling, "That we would pick up where we left off if we had the chance."  
  
Minato closed the last of the distance that separated them, sealing their lips together in a kiss that he'd yearned for since the moment they'd parted the previous time. Naruto was _addicting,_ so _alluring_ and _sinful_. When they kissed; he felt his mind go hazy and fuzzy, the ability to think slowly slipping away from him and the world slowing down.  
  
There wasn't a better feeling in the world, and he was sure that _nothing_ could make him feel better.   
  
His fingers threaded into Naruto's long hair, as his other hand moved over his toned chest and left goose-bumps behind.   
  
"Naru," His voice was husky, thick with pent-up emotion and desires as their lips connected again, stubbornly refusing to part for longer than a second, "Go out with me?"  _Please..!_  
  
"I thought that was a given." Naruto parted long enough to say, feeling Minato's lips stretch into a broad and beautiful smile that reflected just how happy he was. It was a smile that he found himself matching.  
  
The rice cooker began to peep, informing the two kissing blonds that their dinner was ready, and forcing them to part- but not before they placed a loving peck on each other's lips.   
  
A promise; of many more to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chibi Kakashi-sensei debut!! *^*


	51. Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might be a bit slow on the updates this week, I've got an examination coming up~ (But knowing me I'll finish early and write with a vengeance) But just in case! 
> 
> Oh, and it's getting a little warm in here *Wink wink, nudge nudge*

Despite his fever, Minato felt on top of the world. Naruto sat across from him at the dinner table, and next to him was Kakashi. His thoughts were entirely on his _best friend_ , _partner-_ and now **_boyfriend._** He could still scarcely believe that was real. It felt surreal that the person he liked- liked him back. That Naruto, the Yellow Maelstrom and the revered chunin from the battle of Uzushio, was _his_. And his alone. What Naruto saw in him he had no idea, but that didn’t matter so long as there was _something_. Something that kept Naruto’s attention even if he didn’t know what it was.  
  
Meanwhile, Kakashi was completely focused on his food. The presence of the rather famous older boys made him nervous, and he made a much bigger effort than usual to hide his face as he tried to eat and not be seen while doing so. At the same time, he was busy feeling smug about the fat paycheck he’d scored, and mentally counted it over and over again.  
  
But little did he know that neither Naruto nor Minato paid much attention to him. Instead, the two of them had their eyes fixed upon each other- eyes smoldering beneath a layer of, seemingly, ordinary glances and looks. Their sneaky and barely concealed want and need were only emphasized by their feet that continued to rub against each other in a teasing caress from underneath the table that Naruto had stolen from Jiraiya’s garden. The desire to touch and feel was strong, almost suffocating, but thankfully not seeping into the air and alerting poor Kakashi about it.  
  
If their raging teenage hormones could get any worse, then they’d turn blue from them.  
  
Then again, it was mostly Minato who couldn’t keep his hands (or feet) away. Naruto had a little more restraint _… surprisingly enough_.  
  
But Minato was sick, _sue him._  
  
However, Naruto returned as much as he got, but he wasn’t the instigator for their toe-flirting. No, that was all Minato as he slowly allowed his foot to move up Naruto’s shin and then back down again, a small and perfectly innocent smile on his face. He knew _exactly_ what he was doing to his partner.  
  
Not that Naruto minded, not at all. On the contrary- Naruto wanted to push back his chair and pull Minato over the table and into his lap. But present company forced him to restrain himself. For all his ability to be dense as a brick and a little on the knuckleheaded side- he understood how much he wanted the blond across from him and vice versa. Yet his hands were figuratively tied as well. Minato was inexperienced, and Naruto wasn’t. He knew what he could do and how to do it- but his newly gained boyfriend didn’t, and that meant that Minato would have to set the pace in their new form of relationship. Minato would have to be the one to push boundaries and try new things. But that didn’t mean that Naruto couldn’t _subtly_ introduce _some_ things, and make him feel safe and comfortable enough to ask about it.  
  
So, the first order of business, _naturally_ , was to make sure Minato could kiss like the devil himself. And that required practice. Lots and _lots_ of practice. And he was going to be there from start to finish- **guiding** the gorgeous blond along… _and teach him a thing or two._ After all, Naruto was _far_ more practical than theoretical in his teaching methods. There’s nothing better than ‘learn by doing’ when learning to kiss.  
  
Naruto felt a pleasant shiver run down his spine at the thought of pinning him down and ravaging him. _How long was Kakashi staying again?_  
  
Meanwhile, Minato had to bite the inside of his cheek when Naruto’s eyes turned darker. His intense look promising consequences of the _severest degree_ (like a make-out session in the library for example) as Minato’s foot rose higher and higher- touching his thigh before he moved back down again.  
  
Was it inappropriate to ask Kakashi to get back to work so he could drag Naruto into a dark corner somewhere? Probably. _Damn._  
  
As if the silver-haired blond read his mind- or some divine being interfered, Kakashi cleared his throat, and all attention fell on him.  
  
He straightened his back, fixed both older males with a serious expression and said, “Thank you for dinner Naruto-san, Minato-san. If it’s alright with the two of you, may I return to work? I’d like to finish before it gets dark.”  
  
Minato watched on, bemused, as Naruto’s face turned completely serious and he nodded, “Of course. A good initiative Kakashi-kun.” He praised, and Kakashi’s eyes lit up, “I’ll have to take care of Mina for a while, but I’ll have a clone of mine bring you water and something to snack on later.”  
  
“Thank you, Naruto-san.” Kakashi then turned to Minato, “I hope you get better soon, Minato-san.” He then bowed politely- as etiquette required on a mission such as this. _An A-rank mission!_ **Serious business.  
  
** Impatiently, although perfectly concealed, Minato and Naruto followed his chakra signature until they sensed him inside of the study- a fair distance from the kitchen.  
  
“That foot is going to get you in trouble, _Mina-chan,_ ” Naruto warned, voiced honeyed and eyes dark with desire as a small smirk found its way onto his lips.  
  
However, his partner wasn’t one to get easily deterred, “Maybe I like trouble, _Naru-chan?_ ” He smirked right back. If possible, Naruto’s eyes grew even darker, and Minato felt his heart beat wildly in his chest as butterflies raged inside of him.  
  
Naruto slowly rose from his chair, gaze fixed upon the alluring jounin across from him, “Do you now?”  
  
Minato swallowed, growing a little nervous but mostly excited. “I learned from the best.”  
  
“Compliment noted and accepted.” A smile stretched across his face.  
  
“So,” Minato continued, following each of his boyfriend’s every minuscule movements as he slowly moved around the table to reach him, “How much trouble am I in exactly?” Because anything below being tied to a bed was pretty tame in his mind- but who was keeping track?  
  
“ _Heaps,_ ” Naruto stopped beside him and leaned forward- towering over him, “And _heaps_ and _heaps_ of trouble.”  
  
Minato couldn’t help but blush a little, yet a smirk found its way onto his face anyway- a challenge in his eyes, “Sounds pretty bad.”  
  
Naruto reached down, his hand sliding around Minato’s neck and then up and into his hair- tilting his head a little backwards as the blond jounin’s eyelids lowered a little. He then leaned forward, stopping just inches away from Minato’s bewitching lips, “ _Terrible._ ” Their breaths mingled- but then he pulled back, smirking again.  
  
Minato blinked rapidly, then proceeded to pout, “That’s mean!”  
  
But all he received was a humored laugh, “I can’t very well push you up against the table and have my way with you, can I?” Minato turned a pretty red and looked to the side- much to Naruto’s amusement. “Come on,” He said, holding out his hand for his boyfriend to take, “It’s time to get you back to bed. You’re still sick, remember?”  
  
“I feel fine.” He huffed, standing up without taking the offered hand as he turned towards the hallway to head back upstairs. But Naruto didn’t buy into his dismissal, but rather kept his eyes on him, silently following the blond as he made his way out of the kitchen, through the hallways, up the staircase, and through another two hallways before he opened their bedroom door and entered.  
  
Minato crawled onto the bed, still pouting a little and with a small frown on his face- but he’d been so busy thinking about Naruto teasing him that he hadn’t noticed his boyfriend following him all the way back to the bedroom. But then he did.  
  
Startled, Minato turned around, placing his hands on the mattress as his eyes widened a fraction in surprise. He’d not heard him, not even his footsteps or his chakra.  
  
“I’m a little upset,” Naruto admitted, placing his knee on the bed as he slowly began to crawl towards the gorgeous blond in front of him. “You forgot me so easily. That makes me sad, Mina.”  
  
Minato had to lay down or back away as Naruto continued towards him. In the end, he decided on the first, slowly laying down as Naruto placed one of his knees beside his leg, and the other he moved in between- separating them. His heart was throbbing in his ears, blood rushing in two different directions and all he could pray for was that it wouldn’t show.  
  
But if Naruto noticed it, he didn’t acknowledge it as he lowered himself on top of his boyfriend, eyes intent and dark with desire. The former Kage was aware that he was most likely giving Minato a crash-course in what the intro to a wet-dream was like, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care if that was the result. It frankly made him happy to think that he might be dreaming about him in that fashion. If not a little embarrassing- but in a good way.  
  
His boyfriend was playing with fire, and perhaps, just a little, Naruto wanted him to get burned. But in a **very** good way.  
  
Minato swallowed thickly when Naruto took hold of his arms, pinning them to the side of his head, and held him firmly in place. However, he wasn’t scared or worried. No, he wanted to see what would happen next. What would Naruto do to him? What would it feel like? Would he like it?  
  
Naruto pressed his hips and stomach against Minato’s- adding an extra layer of pressure as he slowly lowered his head to his neck, tickling him with his hot breath before he began to place soft kisses on the tanned and sinful skin.  
  
It was impossible to resist, and Minato’s eyes fluttered shut as he bit his bottom lip- trying quite hard to not voice his approval just yet. But it was difficult when Naruto’s lips moved like a feather over his skin, teasing him, preparing him. He felt him move lower- to the base of his neck and the beginning of his shoulder. That’s where he stopped. At first, Minato thought he’d frozen, but then he felt something wet and slippery touch his skin- sliding across it.  
  
Naruto couldn’t help but feel a little smug when he heard a soft, barely audible moan slip past his boyfriend’s lips. There was something immensely satisfying with knowing that he’d caused that reaction. And from just licking his skin. It made him wonder, _imagine_ , what it would be like later. But right now, he had a hickey to make and a newly gained boyfriend to mark.  
  
Frustration bubbled inside of Minato as he tugged a little with his arms, trying to get them free so that he could give into the impulse of taking a firm hold of Naruto’s hair as he sucked and licked on his neck. The desire to feel grounded, to hold onto something was almost unbearable- and he had an inkling that Naruto knew that, and that was why he was being pinned down. To make him frustrated.  
  
_How evil…_  
  
But even so, his eyelids felt heavy, and the sensation of Naruto’s lips and tongue on his neck only became stronger if he closed his eyes- which was what he did. It felt good, _great_. But it didn’t feel like enough. It wasn’t _close_ enough!  
  
“Naru…” His voice was breathless, close to pleading.  
  
“Hmm?” Naruto slowly left his hickey behind- proud of his work. Soft kisses formed a path along Minato’s neck, all the way to his jawline, alongside it, his chin and then finally his lips- sealing them together with a quiet moan from the two of them.  
  
Minato tugged on his arms again, but he couldn’t get them free- his will not quite there anyway.  
  
Naruto’s tugged gently on his bottom lip, using his teeth before he pressed his lips back to his- slipping slightly between them. With the opportunity presented to him, his mouth opened just a little, slowly sliding his tongue across Minato’s bottom lip and teeth. The reaction was immediate, and the jounin opened his mouth on instinct- all too late realizing that he’d invited him in.  
  
It felt strange at first; having someone else’s tongue inside of his mouth. But being as curious as he was- Minato couldn’t help but hesitantly meet it with his own. The result was instantaneous, and his mind turned a little fuzzy as they moved around each other in a seamless pattern.  
  
_So, this is what real kissing is like?_ Minato faintly acknowledged and finding that he liked it. **A lot.**  
  
And so did Naruto. It was difficult to keep himself under control when he wanted so much more but knew he had to wait. His needs came second to Minato’s, and as long as he felt good, then that was enough for him. And for what it was worth; it felt nice to take his time, enjoy it and savor their moments together- making memories.  
  
**_However-_**  
  
A traitorous moan slipped past Minato’s control, and he didn’t notice until it was too late.  
  
Naruto felt himself shudder from the feeling and sound, almost instantly letting go of one of his arms and used his now, free hand, to move down Minato’s body; over his ribcage, waist, hips and then finally- to his ass, where he took a firm hold and squeezed down.  
  
Minato’s neck arched a fraction, a traitorous sound of pleasured surprise escaping him. It took until that moment to realize he could move one of his arms- quickly taking a firm hold of Naruto's hair as he pulled him ever closer to him. At the same time, he pulled his leg up a little- receiving a hum of appreciation from his boyfriend who allowed his hand to move onto his thigh.  
  
Naruto’s caress and mildly possessive hold of him was firm, but not enough to hurt. Frankly, it just made him aroused, and that would be awkward to explain if he ended up in **that** situation- and it wasn’t far off.  
  
But like all good things; it had to come to an end- no matter how much Minato wanted it to continue on forever.  
  
He silently cursed as Naruto began to pull back- _right at the good part!  
  
_ Their lips parted; swollen and wet from shared and mingled saliva as their hot and slightly heavy breathes warmed their skin.  
  
Naruto swallowed, his cerulean eyes swimming with warmth and basking in Minato’s presence. He loved him, so, _so_ much. How he could possibly love someone this much- he didn’t know. But Minato gave his world color, and his life meaning.  
“How was that for trouble?” Naruto whispered, slowly gathering his breathe and turning it back to normal.  
  
Dazed, kissed to oblivion and back, all Minato could do was smile. A smile that was borderline silly as his cheeks were pink, lips a little swollen and dark, eyes shimmering and swimming with bliss, and a mop of blond hair spread around his head like a golden halo.  
  
Naruto couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. He was so adorable, so beautiful and just- _perfect_.  
  
“I like trouble.” Minato declared.  
  
“It’s too bad you have a fever.” The tall and blond jounin leaned down, kissing his cheek, “Then you wouldn’t have to spend all day sleeping, and we could spend it together instead.”  
  
“I’ll get better soon.”  
  
“I know.” He kissed his lips, drawing Minato with him as he made to pull back, and had to smile. “Silly Mina,”  
  
“Am I clingy?” The sickling whispered, leaning back and into the bed again.  
  
“No, you’re not. Not more than I am.” Naruto assured. If anything, he was trying his best to not utterly devour him- his damn fever be damned. It was difficult to reel in his impulses when he was such an impulsive person by nature. “I’ve got a feeling you’ll be the first to get sick of it. Not the other way around.”  
  
“Doubt it.” Minato snorted, knowing bullshit when he heard it, “I _strongly_ disagree.”  
  
A chuckled left him, and Naruto gently caressed his cheek, their eyes locking and looking back at each other with more love than they could describe with words, “Is it too soon…?”  
  
“To say; I love you?” Minato smiled softly, understanding exactly what he wanted to say, “No, I don’t believe it is. Because I love you.”  
  
Naruto’s throat constricted, tears burning behind his eyes, but he refused to allow them to gather. Instead, he smiled right back, displaying just how much he loved him too, “I love you too Mina,”  
  
“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”  
  
“Anything you want.”  
  
“Anything?”  
  
“Anything.”  
  
“Then say it again.” Because he couldn’t believe it just yet. It still felt like a dream, and he was scared he wasn’t awake.  
  
Feeling a little shy for once, but not finding it in himself to deny him anything in the world; “I love you, Namikaze Minato.”  
  
“Again.” He whispered.  
  
This time a fair bit of pink dusted Naruto’s cheeks, and he lowered himself onto his chest, hiding a little from view, “I love you.”  
  
Minato’s arms moved around his body, his chin rested upon his blond hair, “Again.”  
  
“It’s embarrassing, baka.”  
  
“I like hearing it, again!”  
  
“No!”  
  
“Do it!”  
  
“No!”  
  
“Pwetty pwease Nawu-chawn?”  
  
Naruto grumbled something incoherent under his breath, “I love you more than anything in the world!”  
  
“More than Ramen?” Minato grinned, unbeknownst to Naruto- but he could hear it through the tone of his voice.  
  
There was a long moment of silence, and Minato gaped, “Naru!”  
  
“What! Ramen is the food of gods! It’s not something you easily replace from the top of the ‘top-ten list’ of the best things in the world. It’s a lot to readjust to!”  
  
Minato snorted, chuckled and then full out laughed, “I can’t believe I lost to _food_.”  
  
Naruto pushed himself up, cheeks a healthy amount of red, “It’s not just _food_. Ramen transcends simple _food_.”  
  
“And what about me?” He teased, “Don’t I transcend simple _food_ as well?”  
  
There was another long moment of silence, and then Naruto turned doe-eyed and puppy-like, “Can’t I have both? Why do I have to pick?”  
  
“What if I need you to save me, and you’re eating Ramen at the time. Won’t you leave your Ramen for me?” He countered, entirely amused. Naruto was just so adorable and so simple-minded at times.  
  
But much to his surprise, Naruto’s lips stretched into a foxy grin, “I can finish a bowl of ramen in seconds. Wouldn’t want to leave any of you hanging, if you know what I mean.”  
  
“You know,” Minato spoke mildly, “I have no idea what I was expecting with that question- so I’ll let it pass this time.”  
  
“So mean!” A pout and a pair of puffed up cheeks grew on his face, “Mina’s a bully. Trying to get me in trouble.”  
  
_However,_ “But we’ve already established that we _like_ trouble.” Minato pushed himself up, locking his lips with Naruto’s once again and lingered for a few moments _. Just because he could_.  
  
“Well,” Naruto grinned widely, wickedly, “Trouble follows me around, so you’ll get into plenty of it.”  
  
“I look forward to it.”

* * *

  
  
  
Kakashi let out a sigh of relief when he finally dropped the large paintbrush in the empty bucket of the dark red paint. It’d been a long day, and he was finally finished.  
  
Naruto hadn’t shown up after dinner- only his clone when it gave him a couple of bottles of cold water and a pair of sandwiches. Not that he minded. This was his mission, and Minato was obviously very sick and had to be taken cared of- just as Naruto had previously said. One couldn’t fault a person for taking care of the people they cared about. He always did that with his father when he was sick. Same with the reverse.  
  
And to be fair, it was stupid to whine about painting a few rooms when he got an A-ranks worth of payment for it. Anyone complaining after that should probably pick up another profession. But still.  
  
Kakashi looked around himself at the large and dark red library. He had to say, it looked pretty good. All they had to do now was put on the wall strip again, and it would look brand new.  
  
But they’d have to pay him again to do that. Because damn, he was tired, and his back ached. He could do with a good eight hours’ worth of rest and a back massage.  
  
“Woah, you’ve already finished?” The familiar sound of Naruto echoed in the large and open room. Kakashi turned around to face him. Preening a little under the obvious approval reflected in his blue eyes. “This looks awesome Kakashi-kun. Good job. At this rate, I’ll have to hire you for the other ones as well!”

  
“I might be available if you need further assistance.” Kakashi decided to play it cool. One couldn’t appear too willing. That could look bad for business.  
  
Kurama cackled in his mind, enjoying the boy’s adorably adult behavior. “Tell you what.” Naruto compromised, “If you’re available, and you’ve got the time on the day after tomorrow- how about you come back here, and I might have another mission for you. Naturally, the pay will be just as good. I have a reputation to uphold, ya’ know.” He grinned, and little Kakashi beamed- **_discreetly_**.  
  
“Then I’ll make sure to keep my schedule open. Unless there’s anything else, I’ll take my leave for today.”  
  
“You do that,” Naruto slipped one of his hands into the pocket of his pants, “Here you go, hand this in at the mission office and tell them to foot the bill to Jiraiya of the Sannin, and you’ll have no problems getting your money sent to your bank account.”  
  
Kakashi stared at the obviously stolen check with the Sannin’s name on it. His gaze flickered up at Naruto, and then back at the check. The jounin was the _definition_ of innocence.  
  
Naruto watched him in something akin to stomach-twisting hilarity when his entire demeanor changed, and he could have **sworn** a pair of horns grew out of his head as his eyes took the all too familiar ‘U’-shape.  
  
“I think I’ll do that. Same time the day after tomorrow?”  
  
“Same time.”  
  
And thus, Kakashi left, a small skip in his steps as he mentally rubbed his hands together and cackling in his mind. That blasted Ero-sennin would wake up with a black void in his wallet- and he was going to enjoy **Every. Damn. Second**. of his pitiful **cries!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi ma' maaaan! *High-five* Naruto is savage AF!


	52. It started with a tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a real struggle because of my busy schedule.  
> Urgh, exams (ﾉಠдಠ)ﾉ︵┻━┻  
> I wanted to update last Friday, but at the last second, I decided I didn't like what I wrote... so I rewrote it. I'm just a major pain in my own ass at times. Hopefully, this week will be better. SO SORRY! PLZ FORGIVE! ಥ_ಥ I compensated by writing 5.5k words instead of 4k like usual.
> 
> On a comment on the previous chapter, someone mentioned Naruto's hairstyle.  
> imgur.com /0CIuzeJ (I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to put a link up- whoops~ Don't ban me plz.) But this is the picture I was inspired by when I brainstormed about his new appearance. Obviously, there are no braids in his hair, and it's longer. But that's basically how I imagined it. (Put the link together you potato!). Huh, I didn't even notice that there was a hair bead in there until now. Cool.

If it were any other morning, Minato would have been disappointed to find that Naruto was already awake and going about his day. But as it was, Minato was  _very_  happy he woke up alone for once.

The reason was simple;  _morning wood_.

He'd dreamt about the day before. The way Naruto had pinned him down and-

Morning wood.

Morning wood.  _Morning wood_.  ** _Morning wood_**.

He barely acknowledged that his headache was gone, his appetite was back, and his body temperature was back to normal as he hurried into their ensuite bathroom. If Naruto walked in on him when he had a damn boner, he'd  _freaking_ ** _DIE!_**

Thankfully, Naruto didn't open the door to their bedroom during the two seconds it took to get from the bed to the bathroom.

Minato locked the door and sank down on the lid of the toilet, leaning into his hands as he thanked the heavens that Naruto decided to let him sleep in that morning.

It was normal, he knew that of course, but it didn't make it any less mortifying to display to the person you dated. No doubt it would happen in the future, but right now everything was too new- too uncertain and embarrassing. And displaying a boner so soon after they'd just become a couple...  _well._   **Kill him now and get it over with.**

"What do you want?" Minato glared down at the traitorous part of him. A part that seemed to have a damn mind of its own at times, "Go away."

Suddenly, "Mina?" Naruto's voice carried through the door, and Minato's blood turned to ice. His damn boner wasn't going to piss off anytime soon, and there wasn't a shower in this bathroom! What was he supposed to do!?

"I'm in here!" He called, his voice coming out a little strained and he instantly facepalmed himself.

_Nice job, stupid!_

Naruto frowned, growing a little concerned from the tone of his voice, "Are you alright?" He walked up to the bathroom door.

"I'm fine! I'm just... erm... I smell a bit so... I need a shower- probably." Minato cringed, mentally berating himself and his lack of brain cells.

Naruto was pretty sure that made no sense whatsoever since he'd smelled just fine when Naruto woke up with the beautiful blond wrapped around his body. Actually, now that he thought about it; Minato always smelled good.

_'I'm confused.'_  Naruto stared up at his tenant.  _'Is it just me_ _or is he lying?'_

Kurama snorted and rolled his eyes,  ** _'_** ** _Of course he's lying._** ** _He's got an erection_** ** _. The kit's embarrassed_** ** _.'_** ****

_'Erec- Oh. Ooooh...'_ His eyes widening a fraction as realization hit him and he grew a little embarrassed and awkward.

The blond jounin looked around the room, a faint blush on his cheeks as he wondered what he was supposed to do.

Meanwhile, Minato was moments away from getting on his hands and knees to pray to the Gods that Naruto didn't need him for anything urgent. If he did, then he would have to man up and tell him why he couldn't right now... or  _resolve_  the issue quickly. And the latter alternative sucked since he now knew that Naruto's hearing was damn well the best in the village. There'd be no way he wouldn't hear.

**_GOD WHY!?_ **

"Then I'll prepare a bath for you." Naruto's voice reached his ears, and his heart began to beat a little quicker at the words, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to the convenience store to buy some stuff for breakfast. So I'll be gone for fifteen to twenty minutes. Is there anything you want while I'm out?"

Honestly, Minato felt like crying. Naruto was such a damn angel it wasn't even right. "I think my fever is gone," He said softly, a smile forming on his face at Naruto's thoughtfulness, "so maybe some vitamins?"

Naruto smiled, backing away from the bathroom door as he received the memories of his clone starting up the water in the bathtub. "Got it. The water is running, and I put a pair of new clothes on the toilet. I won't be long."

"Stay safe." Minato stood up, taking a few steps towards the door.

"I will." He promised. And with those final words, Naruto left the bedroom behind. Quickly making his way downstairs and then into the kitchen again. The finished breakfast on the stolen table he put in the refrigerator, and then he slipped out and into the hallway and out of the front door.

Minato left their bedroom behind the moment he heard Naruto descend the staircase, hurriedly making his way to the larger bathroom. When he reached it, he closed the door, letting out a sigh of relief as he leaned against the cold white tiles on the wall. He could use fewer surprises in the morning... 

He glared down at the tent in his boxers. "Go away! You're making things difficult."  Needless to say; that did nothing more than make him feel silly. Minato looked up, meeting his reflection in the mirror and catching sight of a pile of clothes on the other end of the bathroom.

His feet carried him to the toilet where his new set of clothes were- only to see a small note on the top.

_'I dropped a bath-bomb into the water so you'll smell really good later._  
_Love you,_  
_N'_

Minato smiled, and his eyes turned soft and fond. Naruto was such a beautiful person. What had he done to deserve someone like him? "I love you too." He whispered.

Soon after, Minato sank into the warm water- the scent of vanilla reaching his nostrils as he smiled even wider.

He loved vanilla.

 

* * *

 

Naruto stood in front of a rack of vitamin bottles, wondering which ones would be best for someone recovering from a fever. Probably vitamin C. But he wasn't sure- so in the end, he took one of each. They would probably get a use for them one day.

"Oi!" A familiar voice suddenly called.

Naruto turned around, surprised. Behind him stood a trio of familiar jounin. One had shaggy brown hair and green eyes. The other had short black hair with a scar across his face, and the last had long brown curls with pretty violet eyes, "It's been a while!" Naruto smiled brightly at seeing his friends again. He'd not seen them for months.

"I'll say!" Taketa crossed his arms over his chest, visibly pouting, "You practically dropped off the damn map four months ago! Where have you been, huh? We never went to the pub like you said we would!" The brunet practically scolded. He liked hanging out with Naruto even if he was almost a decade older than him. The kid was pretty awesome.

A little sheepish, Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Aaah... Well." He tapped his upper arm, a silent explanation of where he'd been and why he'd been so quiet about it.

Hamada, Risa, and Taketa instantly understood. That's where the ANBU tattoo was located.

"That explains it." Risa nodded, "What about Minato-kun? It's rare to see the two of you apart." Because as far as she'd seen; the two of them were practically attached at the hip.

"Hiding from Sayuki, I'm betting." Hamada snorted, shoving his hands into his pockets, "She's up and in his face more than anyone's comfortable with. Poor kid looked on the brink of murder on the last mission."

"Is it really that bad?" Naruto wondered as he paid for his multitude of vitamin bottles and spoke a quiet 'thank you' to the man behind the counter. "I know she likes him, but I didn't realize he hated it so much." He continued, moving over to his friends.

The black haired jounin raised his brows as he recalled their mission together, "He's pretty chill most of the time. Until she says something about you, that is." He smirked, humor glowing in his eyes as Taketa and Risa exchanged knowing looks, "Lemme tell you; insulting you in his presence is  **not**  a way to his heart."

Risa giggled, and Taketa laughed, "I bet that didn't go over well." Hamada shook his head. No, it certainly didn't go over well.

But Naruto hummed thoughtfully, "I wonder if she's heard about it already? Though hopefully, she doesn't know where we live yet. I'd rather not deal with it anytime soon."

"Heard what?" Risa tilted her head to the side, a little confused but mostly curious.

"Mina's my boyfriend." He said simply, peering into the plastic bag with all his newly bought vitamins. Maybe he could ask Risa what vitamins to use? She's a medic, so she'd know-

**"What!?"** The three chorused and startled Naruto enough to make him drop the entire bag on the floor- the contents flying in all directions.

"What?" Naruto echoed then frowned down at the sad-looking vitamin bottles. Now he'd have to pick them all up. Damn, it was over twenty of them!

"You've finally decided to hump his leg?!" Taketa wept proudly, beaming as he slammed his hands onto Naruto's stiff shoulders, "Finally eased the sexual tension around the two of you? Taken his virginity? Popped his cherry?-"

"Idiot!" Risa kicked his shin, making him double over as he cried pathetically and sat down on the tiled floor to nurse his leg. Meanwhile, Naruto rolled his eyes, crouching down to pick up his purchases. 

"You finally asked him out then?" Hamada crouched down to help him.

"Actually, Mina asked me out. Not the other way around. Just yesterday too." He accepted the last bottle from Hamada, standing back up again as they proceeded to leave the store- Risa dragging Taketa by the foot and making sure to ram his head against the doorframe on the way out.

Not that he noticed...  
  
"Huh, didn't see that one coming," Taketa spoke from the ground where she'd left him, staring up at the clouds while the other three sat down on a bench just outside the store. "I always thought you'd be the one to pop the question in the end."

Naruto leaned back, sighing, "It seems like everyone knew I liked him before even I did. I had no bloody idea until a couple of days ago. Now I can't even believe I managed to miss it."

"You didn't know?" Risa stared incredulously at him, covering her mouth and smile with one of her hands, "You really didn't know?"

"Not a clue." Honestly, now that he thought about it; it was a little embarrassing that he hadn't figured that out. He was so crazy about Minato now that it was beyond him how he'd managed to miss something like that in the first place. That stuff naturally didn't happen overnight either.

"Holy shit man," Taketa chuckled, "You're dense as a brick."

Naruto merely sighed again, "So I've heard."

"So where is he?" Risa bumped her shoulder to his, a teasing smile on her lips, "I can't imagine you two moving very far away from each other when you've just discovered this new side to your relationship."

The blond jounin chuckled, and a faint blush dusted his cheeks. It wasn't very far from the truth, truth be told. "He's had a fever these past few days, so I'm picking up some vitamins for him while he takes a bath." He explained, "We got kicked out of Ero-sennins place some days ago and then got a house of our own, so I've been busy trying to get everything in order while at the same time taking care of Mina."

"The Toad Sage kicked you out?" Hamada seemed skeptical. Everyone knew that the Sannin adored the two blonds.

"Yeah, apparently Oro and Baachan took over our rooms the moment we hit the streets. But they bought us the neighboring house to live in. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if Ero-sennin did that just so he could peep on us, damn pervert." Naruto massaged his forehead, a headache slowly growing at the mere thought of the Sannin. "But I guess it's fine. Since we're dating, and just became partners too. So this is probably for the best anyway."

"Ah!" Taketa and Hamada smirked, "So he finally asked you? Man, he's been holding onto that partner application for months!"

"He asked me." Naruto confirmed, a small smile forming on his face as he recalled the time he'd been asked, "There's no going back now."

The three older jounin couldn't help but feel happy for him. Naruto seemed happy, very much so. During all the years they'd known him, it became apparent that while he smiled a lot, it took a lot for those smiles to reach his eyes. They couldn't even imagine what weighted someone like him down like that. And perhaps a part of them didn't want to know either. 

"Then congratulations," Risa bumped his shoulder again, "Now we've got a good excuse to head to the bar together, all five of us."

"I'm fifteen, in case you've all forgotten."

"Well, you'll be sixteen in a few months, so then it'll be no problem." Taketa waved it off. "Consider yourself booked on your birthday." He then grinned wickedly, "We're going bar-hopping."

"You do remember I can't get drunk, right?" Naruto reminded mildly. The lot of them were hopeless.

All three of them flicked their wrists at the same time, "Irrelevant." They chorused. Which also told Naruto that they just wanted an excuse to get wasted- as he'd suspected.

He rolled his eyes but smiled, "Fine, Fine. The tenth of October. But I have to get back to Mina now. He's probably done with the bath."

Taketa whistled, "You go, kid! Maybe you'll take him right back to the bath-  _ow! What the hell!_ Stop kicking me you violent harpy!"

"Shut up, you disgrace of a man!" Risa kicked him again, leaning to the side at the same time to hug Naruto, "Say 'Hello' from me?"

Naruto hugged her back, "I will. You guys should come by the house when you're free."

"We'll do that," Hamada promised, poking Taketa with his foot while the latter whimpered on the ground.

"You're all so mean to me." Taketa mourned.

But Naruto merely smirked, "I'll tell him you guys said 'Hi.' And Taketa," The man looked up, doe-eyed and the perfect picture of an innocent child, "A kid pissed himself on that exact spot some days ago."

"AHH!!! WHAT THE FUCK MAN!! YOU GUYS PLANNED THIS!"

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, an  _actual_  furious harpy was stomping down the streets with a certain destination in mind.

 

* * *

 

Minato rested the back of his head on the edge of the bathtub, humming contently as the warm and vanilla scented water soothed all his senses. He felt good, so relaxed and at peace that he could have fallen asleep. 

 

* * *

  
  
Naruto mentally cringed when he turned to the last street right before his house. On the other side, walking with furious steps, were Sayuki.   
  
_Just great..._  
  
However, she didn't appear to have seen him yet. Minato was most likely still tired from his past fever, and the last thing he needed to deal with right now was Sayuki. So, with that in mind, Naruto clutched his fist inside of his pocket and soldiered forward- preparing himself to face an Oni in human form.  
  
Sayuki was fuming, completely and utterly furious. She'd overheard the Yamanaka heir speak to his friends, so she'd naturally stopped to eavesdrop. The Yamanaka heir had the best gossip in the village, and all the gossip about Minato was always spot on. So it wasn't something she could pass up the opportunity of.  
  
But what she'd heard made her want to  **tear**  someone's throat out!   
  
_Naruto and Minato kissing in a restaurant?! **AS IF!**_  
  
There was _no way_  that her Minato-kun would stoop to  _ **his**_  levels! Minato-kun was _perfect_  and way more attractive and sexy than that con!  **Minato-kun was hers!**  
  
In all her fury, she didn't notice that Naruto reached the front gate of the  _'rumored property'_  of the blonds at the same time as she did. It was only when she reached for the handle of the gate that she saw him.   
  
Naruto took a firm hold of her wrist, preventing her from touching the gate.  
  
"Sayuki." He acknowledged. "Can I help you with anything?"  
  
The black haired woman snatched her hand out of his, scowling at his entirely neutral expression.  _"You!"_  She hissed, "What are you playing at!?"

"You'll have to be more specific than that." Naruto raised a brow. Man, this was going to take forever. He wanted to see Mina...  
  
He wasn't prepared for it- the hand that moved like a whip and slapped him across the face with a sound that resonated in the empty street. His eyes widened, shocked that she had the gall to touch him-  _hit him!_

"Don't play smart with me!" She spat, "You know I've had my eyes on Minato-kun for a long time, and now you felt threatened that he'd choose me instead of _you!_ So you took him by force!"  
  
A low and prominent growl rumbled inside of his mind as Kurama's large claws dug into the soil of his large island. A place Naruto had made for him especially- to make him feel less trapped.   
  
Nobody was allowed to accuse and hit his kit!  _ **Nobody!**_

But Naruto soothed his anger by placing a hand on his snout, and Kurama instantly wrapped one of his large tails around his body as he began to heal the redness of his cheek.  
  
_**What a bitch.**_  
  
" _'By force'_? Where the hell did you get that from?" He frowned, deciding that he wasn't going to lose his temper so easily around the infuriating woman, no matter what she did.   
  
"Why else would Minato-kun kiss _you?_ " Her face twisted in disgust.  
  
_Actually, fuck that._  
  
Naruto took a step forward, his hand moving so quickly and wrapping around the collar of her shirt that she didn't even have time to comprehend that she'd done a severe miscalculation before it was too late.  
  
He yanked her forward, and she shrieked. His cerulean eyes were turning so cold and angry that anyone would have backed away from him, "I don't think you should come around this part of the village anymore." He spoke softly, a terrifying contrast to his deadly gaze, "I don't want you anywhere near my  _boyfriend_ ," Her eyes widened, "And if I hear you as much as looking at him funny, I'll skin you alive." Naruto pulled her even closer- his breath hitting the skin of her face as her fingers began to tremble, "Losing you with be  _such_  a loss to Konoha." His lips stretched into a sinister smile- teeth growing a little sharper as he allowed a fraction of Kurama's red eye-color to mingle with his blue, turning them a deep purple.  
  
Sayuki fell to the ground the moment Naruto let her go- her legs refusing to hold her up. Her heart was thundering in her chest, her hearing turning muffled and thick and her hands trembling like leaves in the wind.   
  
"You're a monster..." She whispered with wide and fearful eyes, slowly crawling backward and away from him. "What are you?"  
  
But Naruto merely took a single step forward, crouching down and tilting his head to the side, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and if I have to be; your worst nightmare."

 

* * *

  
  
Minato stared up at the ceiling, thinking and smiling to himself as he recalled the night before. When he'd mustered the courage to ask Naruto out, and when he asked him to be his partner- to live together and- He pulled his legs up, hugging them as he hid his bright smile from the world.  
  
If this was what it meant to be happily in love, then he didn't want the feeling ever to disappear.  
  
His moment of peaceful tranquility came to a halt when a soft knock on the bathroom door occurred.  
  
"Mina?" Naruto called.  
  
Minato placed his hands on the edge of the bathtub, leaning over the side as he looked at the door, "What is it?"  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
His lips parted a fraction, and he looked around himself. The water in the bathtub was a milky white and enough to hide his body. Besides, he didn't want to leave just yet. "Go ahead."  


Naruto turned the handle, stepping into the steam-filled room and finding Minato looking at him curiously.    
  
"Sorry, I won't take long." He assured, but his boyfriend merely smiled and shook his head.  
  
"Take your time. Did you find any vitamins?"  
  
Awkwardly Naruto raised his plastic bag, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly while Minato stared at it- not sure what to think. "Found some..."  
  
_'Some.'_  
  
"You did..." He agreed slowly. How many bottles did he buy...?  
  
Naruto placed the bag in the sink, turning around and promptly tried to forget he'd bought twenty bottles instead of just one. "How're you feeling?"  
  
Minato smiled, leaning onto his arms at the edge of the bath, "Brand new."   
  
"That's good." The blond jounin moved a little closer, crouching down beside his partner. "I don't like when you're sick." His hand moved up and gently touched his cheek, fondness reflected in his eyes.  
  
Minato allowed his eyelids to fall shut, committing the feeling to memory as he leaned into the gentle caress. "It was my fault." He said.  
  
"It wouldn't have happened if I wasn't an idiot." Naruto disagreed and leaned forward, hesitating just a second before their lips locked in a kiss that they'd both longed for. He wanted to kiss him so much more, but he couldn't when Minato slept his fever away. His health took precedence over Naruto's selfish desires.   
  
But Minato felt just fine now.  
  
A wet hand moved into his long hair, pulling him ever closer to deepen the kiss- to which he happily complied. At this rate, Naruto though, he might just lift him up from the tub and steal him away.

Minato shivered despite the hot water that surrounded him. Naruto tasted like perfection, and a sugary treat all rolled into one. A sinful and dangerous combination when he was starving for both.   
  
However, a smile stretched across Naruto's face, hands holding onto the edge of the tub as he spoke against the tasty lips, "I'll fall in at this rate." He chuckled.  
  
Maybe it was the fact that he was a little bit hungry, recovering from a stubborn fever, and getting a brain-malfunction whenever Naruto was within two feet of him that his,  _arguably_ , most embarrassing idea so far popped into his head, "Maybe I want you to?" He whispered, a somewhat suggestive but shy tone to his voice.   
  
Minato swallowed thickly, barely believing what he'd just suggested. But at the same time finding that he hoped Naruto would agree to bathe with him. How it was less embarrassing to what had happened that morning, he tried not to think about for his sanity's sake. 

"I won't fit in there." Naruto quickly looked away, his pulse picking up and leaving him uncharacteristically shy and embarrassed.  
  
"You'll fit," Minato reached for his cheek, turning him back around as he pulled him forward and into a soft kiss once again. "Just this once?" Because all he wanted was to be close to him, to get a little time alone together. A moment with no interruptions. Something always got in the way.  
  
As always, Naruto couldn't bring himself to deny Minato anything. If he wanted to dress him up as a maid, he might argue but do it in the end anyway. As long as Minato was happy, then that was enough for him. "Just this once." He said, watching as his partner's cheeks turned a beautiful rose and he slowly turned around- allowing him privacy as he undressed.   
  
Naruto did, his nerves coiling like a string- tighter and tighter with each piece of clothing he removed. A part of him couldn't believe he was doing this, but the other- the much more prominent and louder part of him felt an overpowering sense of anticipation and excitement.  _Besides,_  butterflies tickled the insides of his chest;  _it was kind of romantic in a way._  

Minato heard him step into the water, his heart beating so fast he was pretty sure it was beginning to bruise his ribcage.   
  
"You can look now."   
  
The two blond teenagers turned to face each other, both a healthy amount of red while their body language was shy and uncertain.   
  
"See," Naruto said softly, just above a whisper, "I don't fit."  
  
They were both sitting at the opposite ends of the tub, their legs folded in front of them.   
  
But Minato held out his hand for him to take, "You fit just fine."   
  
He took it, allowing himself to be pulled towards the alluring and beautiful jounin.  
  
Minato leaned against the edge, quietly drawing his boyfriend closer and closer until he was right above him- Naruto's chest and hips just above the surface of the water.  
  
"See..." His mouth felt dry as he spoke, "Perfect fit."  
  
A part of Naruto wondered if Minato understood how suggestive he was being. But he'd always been smart, a prodigy in every sense of the word- so it wasn't a stretch to say that Minato knew precisely what he was doing, but doing it anyway.   
  
_He could work with that._  
  
It was quiet while they watched each other. There was a smoldering heat brewing between them, eyes darkening and filling with intent and desire. A greedy sort of need that was left unspoken but practically tangible in the air between them. It wasn't until that moment that they allowed themselves to actually feel the magnetic tension between them.  
  
The tension snapped like a twig, and the two of them slammed their lips together in a heated and desperate kiss with tongue and teeth. Kissing as if though it would be the last time they ever did.  
  
Minato felt Naruto's hand snake around his back, drawing him closer to his chest while Minato took a firm hold on the back of his neck and to the edge of the bathtub.   
  
Water poured over the edge, splashing onto the tiled floor and decreasing the amount of cover they had. But neither noticed nor cared.   
  
Naruto left his lips after a long moment, moving onto his neck as Minato leaned back- his hair dipping into the milky water as a soft moan slipped past his lips. Naruto elongated his teeth, just a little, and began to nibble on his flawless skin while he felt his partner's nails dig into his neck in a painful hold. But he wasn't bothered, the pain was easily ignored over the taste of Minato's body.   
  
He felt Naruto's teeth; how sharp they were and how obviously dangerous they could be. But at the same time, it was exciting how close to that danger he was. The needle-like stings from his teeth only brought him pleasure and the desire for him to bite down properly and hard. Why he couldn't say. He'd never wanted someone to bite him before. But the thought of Naruto doing so...   
  
Minato shuddered at the thought, spreading his legs a fraction and urging his boyfriend closer.   
  
Naruto was bordering on entering a small frenzy when he suddenly felt himself get a little more room to draw nearer. He wanted him so badly that it was difficult to keep himself under control. Minato's skin was so inviting and delicious, not to mention his breathless voice. All of it was piling up and pushing him over the edge.   
  
A hand moved alongside Minato's body, all the way down to his bottom cheek where it took a firm hold of him and forced a shuddering breath out of him, and he closed his eyes.   
  
So he wasn't prepared when Naruto moved- pulling him up and forward.   
  
Naruto held onto him, pushing himself back against one end of the bathtub and dragged Minato into a straddled position on top of him.   
  
Suddenly, the two of them found that they could move their hands without risking to slide underneath the water, and thus began to caress and explore each other with renewed vigor.   
  
Now, it wasn't to say that Naruto had a specific preference to body parts... but Minato had a  _ **really**  _nice ass.  
  
Minato's breath came out labored, leaning forward and onto his partner's shoulder as Naruto kneaded his bottom and aroused him more than he was able to hide. He felt himself get harder and his nails digging into Naruto's tanned skin at the same time.   
  
At this rate, Naruto would notice it, and Minato would never be able to talk himself out of it, "Naru wa-" His voice was cut off when his hips were pulled forward- pressing his obvious arousal onto the blonds abdomen... and feeling something just as hard against his thigh.   
  
"You have no idea what you do to me..." Naruto's lips slid across his chest, licking, sucking and kissing.   
  
"I think I do," Minato swallowed audibly, his breath heavy, " _Perfectly_."  
  
"If you want me to stop," He placed several soft kisses on his toned chest, "I will. I won't do anything you don't want."  
  
"Don't stop," The mere thought of ending what they'd just started felt like a crime. And Minato wouldn't have it. Not now. He leaned down, claiming a pair of swollen and sultry lips with his own.   
  
That was all the invitation Naruto needed as the hold of boyfriend's hips grew firmer, and he slowly moved him up... and then down again. Causing just enough friction to receive a satisfying moan from his partner.   
  
A while passed, and the ability to think clearly was becoming harder and harder. The friction was driving him insane, and his body was ignoring him. He'd already lost control of his own voice and the embarrassing sounds that he made with each grinding movement.   
  
Soon a new predicament presented itself and panic began to pool in his stomach.   
  
"I- W-wait!" He stammered, "I-if yo-"  
  
"Don't worry," Naruto's husky and melodious baritone forced him to fall silent and to close his eyes. That damn voice was enough to drive him crazy as it was. "Don't hold back."  
  
But Minato wasn't entirely convinced, and it only got worse when a familiar constriction and an unmistaken buildup occurred, a warning that all men recognized. His fingers dug into the tanned skin, teeth clenched and his eyes clutched tightly shut.   
  
Maybe it was over the top, too personal and too soon... but Naruto, in the spur of the moment, didn't care. One of his hands left Minato's hip, moving in between them and took hold of a warm and hard erection. His ears picked up a small whimper, a soft sound to his ears as he gently moved his hand up and down- wanting to feel the moment Minato was at his most vulnerable.   
  
There was a twitch, a throb and then Minato's entire body tensed before he let out a memorable moan that would remain in Naruto's memory forever.   
  
Once the shorter blond came down from his high, tears began to pool in his eyes as he held onto Naruto- hiding from view while feeling so embarrassed and dirty at having released on him that he couldn't even look at him.  
  
But that was wrong, and Naruto soon made those feelings drift away with the waves of the ocean. "You're so beautiful Mina..." He whispered, silencing the blonds thoughts. His arms moved around Minato's body, holding him close to his body as he savored the blissful moment. "I love you."  
  
A single tear rolled down Minato's cheek, and a smile broke through, "I love you too." He whispered back.  
  
They moved around a little, rearranging themselves into a more comfortable position until Minato rested against Naruto's chest, their knees sticking up from the remaining water and Naruto's arms securing him in an embrace.   
  
It was quiet for a while. The silence was soothing and enough to express their lingering feelings.   
  
"We're bathing in sperm." Minato finally decided to point out the obvious.  
  
"Ssh, don't ruin it." Naruto murmured against his head.  
  
Minato turned his head to the side to look up at the handsome blond behind him, blue eyes meeting blue, "This wasn't what I had in mind when I asked you to join me."  
  
A cheeky grin stretched Naruto's lips, "I'm full of surprises. But you liked it, right?"  
  
A question such as that would usually have left Minato red as a beet, but after what he'd just done together with Naruto, such a simple question seemed tame and ordinary. "I did." He said, closing his eyes as he rested against his boyfriend's toned chest.  
  
He could get used to this... but first~  
  
"I'm going to need a shower after this."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I'd like to extend an invitation." Minato's voice spoke of mischief, and Naruto's eyes lit up.   
  
"Is there a dress code?" He teased, leaning down to kiss him just below the ear.  
  
"No clothes allowed."  
  
"Then I accept." Naruto tilted Minato's head back, sealing their lips together yet again.   
  
This was proving to be a very auspicious day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Handing out tissues*


	53. I've got your back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUN!!!! ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ

Minato leaned up against the wall of their hallway the moment they put their feet inside of the house. He was exhausted and utterly drained. The energy he'd gained that morning was gone, and his body ached.

Perhaps it was a tad bit ambitious to immediately go furniture- and decor shopping when he'd just recovered from a nasty fever. But at the time, it seemed like a really good idea. Their home wouldn't decorate itself, and a lot of work was still left to do before they could truly relax and enjoy their vacation.

Which was why they'd spent their entire day at the market, buying everything Naruto had previously written down on lists, and just about twice the amount of things he hadn't.

It explained why there were hordes of packages, boxes, bags, wrapped up furniture, paint, wallpaper, and God knows what scattered around the entire first floor of the house. There were so many things that it was hard to see the floor and walls.

Minato tried not to think about the fact that they had no strategy for unboxing and organizing what went where. If they'd been smart about it, then they would have placed all the things for the kitchen in the kitchen, all the stuff for the living room in the living room, etc. But that proved close to impossible when they kept finding more and more things that they 'needed.'

In the end, it was all a hot mess.

However, despite the current state of their home, Minato had never felt happier. This was their home; their forever place. It was the house they were going to live and grow old in- or so Minato wished at least. He could already imagine it: coming home every day to Naruto who would ask him how his day had been, what he wanted to eat, and kiss him whenever he could.

But today had been a memorable day. An important chapter of their lives. It was when everything stopped being  _Minato's_  or  _Naruto's_  and became  _theirs_.

His gaze fell to Naruto who was crouched down and untying his shoes. His shoulders hunched just a little, indicating how tired he was as well.

"Man, I'm beat," Naruto groaned and pushed off his shoes, taking a seat directly on the floor. "I could use a couple hours of rest."

"Me too." Minato slowly slid down the wall, joining his partner on the floor, "But we got a lot of things done today." He said, ever the optimist.

"We did," He agreed and closed his eyes to rest them for a moment, "I'm sorry about dragging you around all day."

"Don't apologize. It's our home, and we should be putting in an equal amount of effort to make it into something we're proud of. You've already done so much more than I." His fever had been a massive roadblock these past few days and, honestly, he felt terrible about letting Naruto paint and clean all on his own.

Naruto opened his eyes, holding out a hand for him to take, "It's not your fault that you got sick-"

"-Yes, it was. I thought we already agreed on that." Minato pointed out, taking his hand and allowed himself to be pulled closer.

"Fine." The taller jounin chuckled, "Even so, I have my clones, and I didn't paint nearly as much as you'd think. Which reminds me," He recalled, "Kakashi is coming by tomorrow. I hired him again, so we should put the paint and wallpaper into the rooms we want fixing up, and then he can take care of that while we sort out the bottom floor tomorrow."

Minato leaned up against his boyfriend, resting his head on his shoulder. "How did you end up meeting Kakashi-kun?"

Naruto let out a tired sigh, "Apparently, he's the one Ero-sennin's been babysitting these past few months. He's supposed to train him a bit, but we both know Ero-sennin; he doesn't do anything unless he gets something out of it. Not to mention, he seems to like pushing Kakashi's buttons because he finds it amusing. So he dumped him here yesterday." He continued to explain, "That's why I decided to hire him. He's already a genin, and I'm pretty sure he's not all that happy about the arrangements made for him."

"Which means," Minato smiled softly, "You made him feel useful and important. Like he wasn't wasting his time and not being taken seriously."

"...Maybe." He smiled back, "It may have crossed my mind at one point."

Naruto felt the weight of Minato's head disappear from his shoulder, a hand gently turning his head to the side. He met a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Something akin to approval and love shimmering deep within them.

"I love that about you. The way you think about others and see what most wouldn't have taken the time to notice." Minato leaned forward, close enough to place a soft kiss on his boyfriend's lips, "You're so thoughtful and kind." He'd never met a person who thought so much about other people. It was a little surreal if he was honest.

A foxy grin stretched across Naruto's face, "I like when you compliment me. Can I have some more?" A chuckle reached his ears, and a pair of soft lips touched his once more, nibbling playfully on his bottom lip.

"You're very  _humble_."

"I know, I get that all the time!" His grin grew more prominent, and Minato raised an amused brow.

"I can't imagine why."

"Don't be mean, Mina!" Naruto pouted, "I bought you a ton of things today!"

"Things for  _us_ , remember?" Minato poked his cheek, "I just made a lot of  _suggestions_."

Kurama snorted.  _Suggestions_  would imply that Naruto had a choice in the matter, which he did, technically. But then again, he  _didn't_  when he was incapable for denying Minato anything(which the shorter blond  ** _NEVER_**  took advantage of...). If Minato looked at something for too long, then Naruto would place it in their basket and play it cool as a cucumber.

Naruto was spoiling him rotten, and Minato memorized and analyzed everything his partner said and did so that he could base his choices off of what Naruto might want.

It was all a rather pathetic human thing to do, and Kurama didn't care for it. It was very  _sappy_. Now, if Kurama dated someone, he'd take them out to hunt and kill some stuff. Dining over the fresh carcass of a deer for example. Now  **that**  as dating at its finest!

 

* * *

 

When part of the TI department, people ended up seeing a lot of strange things. Things that, sometimes, were very hard to explain. Secrets were the norm, and the higher up the ranks you got, the more secrets and fucked up shit you learned.   
  
As it was, Shimpei Taketa was right underneath the head of the department. From his laid back- and questionable personality, one might assume that he was merely a grunt, doing the jobs that nobody else wanted to do. But that wasn't true. In reality, Taketa had a mind that could arguably put him on par with some of the Nara. He wasn't as intelligent or talented with strategy- but that wasn't where his strengths lay.  
  
He wasn't the strongest of jounin, he knew that and was aware of it. But that didn't matter. Not when his specialty was that of information gathering and problem-solving. He'd been scouted for the TI department during his chunin exams when he'd been just a short little shit with more attitude than he could back up. Back then he'd received a rude awakening, that he wasn't strong enough to be a frontline shinobi or even one that could hold his own very well if he became outnumbered. And thus he'd accepted an apprenticeship under several high-ranking shinobi in the department known to be sketchy and messed up. A place nobody wanted to end up in unless they could accept that they would most likely get a strange personality from it and become viewed as "Those guys."  
  
Dealing with torture and murderers on a daily basis took its toll on people. Himself included. At the same time, TI was home, and the place he'd always drift back towards. He took some stray missions here and there, and even more so the last couple of years due to the war and the loss of shinobi from the battle of Uzushio, but his place of preference would always be TI.   
  
And if rumors were correct; which, surprisingly enough, they often were in that department- then the head of TI was looking for a successor. And all eyes were fixed on Shimpei Taketa who's record was filled with variety and experience. Everything from the required genin team to the hell-tour in the Academy that ended up costing him his arm for a couple of minutes. He still couldn't use chakra with it sadly.   
  
Taketa noticed it more and more lately, how the piles of paper on his desk continued to stack up. It didn't take a genius to see that Shusaku Wataru, his boss, was gradually transferring his work to him. Frankly, it pissed him off. Because he wasn't getting a raise unless he was actually promoted to the head of TI, and if it was happening, it sure took its sweet time.   
  
But the title didn't feel very important. His tasks would be mostly the same with the only difference being that he could tell people to fuck off without getting reprimanded for it.   
  
Which, to be fair, was a pretty awesome.  
  
Even so, the thought of becoming the head of TI was far from his mind that afternoon. The reason for that was Mitarashi Sayuki who'd paid the department a visit to file a complaint while being borderline hysteric.   
  
It was only dumb luck that he'd been the one to handle the case and fill in the report. If not, then he was sure that things would have escalated quite quickly.   
  
Taketa read the report he'd written that morning. The complaints she had against Uzumaki Naruto who'd apparently threatened her life. It was common knowledge that Sayuki stirred up trouble wherever she went, and often had a very one-sided story to tell. So it wasn't that surprising that he didn't believe a single word she'd said.  
  
True, Naruto might have threatened her, but she neglected to say what for. What reasons he had for doing it in the first place. And Taketa knew Naruto, had done so for almost seven years; the boy had a long fuse and wasn't easily angered.   
  
 There were only a few things that would anger the blond and the most recent one, and arguably the most sensitive of those; was Namikaze Minato. Naruto was fiercely protective of him, and even more so when it had come to light that they were dating each other. It was also a known fact that Mitarashi Sayuki zeroed in on younger men and held onto them with her claws until she got what she wanted. And if Hamada was to be believed, then her eyes were on Namikaze Minato.   
  
No, Taketa could smell bullshit reeking from the report and didn't plan on filing it and sending it to the Hokage.  
  
Even if he most likely should have... Especially after reading it through a couple of times.   
  
The report didn't bother him because he was worried Naruto was guilty, but because of the physical description that Sayuki had vividly remembered. Like fangs and purple eyes for example. Those things were pretty hard to pull out of your ass: even for Sayuki who was delusional as hell.   
  
It was part of his job to be thorough and investigate suspicious information. But the thought of starting a personal investigation on his own friend-  _ **who'd saved his damn life**_ \- left a sour taste in his mouth.   
  
But the investigator inside of him was already reaching for all the information that he knew about Naruto, trying to put the fragmented puzzle pieces together to form a coherent picture. It was a futile effort to try and resist. He'd done an admirable job for almost an entire day, but he'd finally reached the point of breakage.   
  
He swallowed thickly and pushed back his chair, the wooden furniture scraping against the stone floor and left behind an ominous echo.  
  
With the report tightly clutched in his hand, Taketa reached for his ID card, placed the folder inside of his dark grey coat, and left his office behind to head for the TI archives.   
  
On his way there, he couldn't help question how little he actually knew about Naruto. The boy showed up from seemingly nowhere, only to take the entire village by storm, and end up more famous than the White Fang after the battle of Uzushio. The kid was a prodigy without equal. Mature and well versed in the ways of the world. Loyal, kind, thoughtful and downright ruthless when he had to be. His moniker of 'Yellow Maelstrom' was a little too perfect for someone like him.   
  
At times, he was mesmerizing to look at- until he swallowed you up and drowned you with his sheer overwhelming power. Which was also a thing he couldn't help but wonder about. Naruto was a Sage, but from what he'd seen, the kid didn't use it nearly as much as one would believe.   
  
No, he relied more on his shadow clones and the confusing and mind-boggling strategies that he pulled out of his head in the heat of the moment. Then there was his Kekkei Genkai that healed all of his wounds and prevented sickness.   
  
Uzumaki Naruto was a power-house, unlike anything he'd ever seen before.   
  
Using his hand, he pushed open the door to the archives, the ANBU on his side stepping away to allow him free passage.   
  
The room was dry and dusty. Dark and quiet. It was a place only the highest ranking interrogators could go but rarely did. Most of the time, it was his job to file the reports away in their appropriate places. Coming here would be nothing unusual to anyone seeing him.   
  
His feet carried him towards the profile files of the jounin of the village. His eyes moved over the many letters, searching for the letter 'U' and then 'Z.'   
  
The first clue presented itself when he found nothing. There was no Uzumaki Naruto in the profile files in the jounin section.  
  
That wasn't right.   
  
"Strange..." He mumbled and took a step away from the large shelves, "Now~" He smirked, tapping his chin playfully, "If I was a person who didn't have a profile in the normal section, what reasons would I have for that? Am I a convicted criminal and hiding something?"  
  
The jounin skipped over to the shelf of criminally convicted shinobi in the village.  
  
Only to find nothing.  
  
"Or, am I stuck in the chunin section because Shimpei Taketa is a forgetful bastard and forgot to file my promotion away?~"

Again, nothing.  
  
"Perhaps this village has subpar filing, and I'm still a genin?"  
  
When he found no trace of Uzumaki Naruto, he frowned. "That's unusual-AH! He's Anbu now!" He snapped his fingers, forcing a small echo to bounce around the room.  
  
You know, sometimes it's hard to remember everything, so shit gets mixed up.  
  
Taketa made his way down the room and to the back wall where another door was located. Anbu had another level of security to their shinobi's, and it was only the head of the department who could enter that section.  
  
Which was lucky, because Wataru had subtly transferred his job to him. Which begged the question; did he have access to the archives of the Anbu yet?  
  
"Well, at worst I'll be dragged off to TI,  _tehehe,_  and maybe get a little spanking for being a naughty jounin!" He cackled and pulled out his access card.  
  
One of two things could happen; either an alarm would go off and make everyone inside of the building piss themselves with glee of having caught an infiltrator. Or, nothing would happen, and he'd been granted access.  
  
He swiped his card through the lock, only to pout when it clicked open. It would have been pretty funny to see Wataru get all pissy about a false alarm.  
  
The second room was ten times worse than the first one, and the dust was  **real**. It caked the top of the shelves, forcing a couple of loud sneezes out of the poor jounin.  
  
"Aaah, buggar." 

"Now, where is little Naruto-chan~?"  
  
Taketa walked around the shelves, humming thoughtfully and making a show of scratching his chin, "UzuMaki, UZUmaki, Makisushi~ UZUMAKI!" A familiar name popped up on one of the documents, and he snatched it out of the shelf, grinning smugly as he flipped it open.  
  
But his humor disappeared, liked melted snow underneath a scorching sun.  
  
His picture, age, name, and height was the only information that he had. The rest was blacked out- even his blood type.  Which was B, by the way, but he'd probably get murdered by someone if he said that, judging by the confidentiality of this file.  
  
Aside from the glaringly suspicious lack of information in his profile file, it was also unusually thin. It was barely half a page with blacked out information.   
  
Taketa's intrigue was tingling at the knowledge of having discovered a highly kept secret.   
  
Any other person would have realized that continuing from that point onwards would be dangerous, but Taketa being Taketa, didn't give a shit, and closed the file and walked deeper into the room.   
  
It was now painfully obvious that Naruto's identity was a fabrication meant to deter someone or something. The secrecy around him was some next level shit, and this went above the level of ordinary Anbu stuff.   
  
He stopped in front of yet another door. This one would get his nuts chopped off if he got caught. "Should I? I like my testicles~" He whimpered, but then his posture straightened, and he took hold of the ID card and swiped it through yet another lock.   
  
The door clicked open, confirming him as the actual successor of the TI department, and also entrusting him with the secrets of the village. From here on out, whatever he found, he'd be forced to keep to himself. The penalty was death, and Taketa was well versed with the laws and punishments of the village. He wasn't particularity hyped about dying yet.  
  
It was with ominous steps that he moved across the room, eyes running across the shelves of documents and files, reading each name until he stopped- Uzumaki Naruto's record right before him.  
  
Naruto's Anbu file was alarmingly thin, but it was a stark contrast to the thick bulk of paper that made up his actual record.   
  
The shaggy-haired jounin had to use both his hands to pull the file out from the shelf, the weight bending his back just a little. Quietly, Taketa moved towards the end of the room, placing the data on the desk in the corner and took a seat on the wooden chair.   
  
He hesitated for just a moment, a little worried about what he'd find in the thick bulk of papers.   
  
His fingers moved between the pages of the folder, flipping it open to the first one.   
  
Taketa stared, the information flooding his mind- but the **fucking ridiculous** number of D-ranked missions Naruto had completed continuously drew his attention, and made him unable to focus on what he was reading. "This little shit is monopolizing the entire D-rank bracket..." _Arsehole._ _The kid had to be fucking rich by now._  
  
But he continued to read after melting the fact that his friend was a mission addict. He flipped through the incredibly detailed profile. Page after page describing him and how he worked in alarming detail. Frankly, it gave Taketa the feeling that a stalker was writing about him, and not people filing reports.   
  
However, the answer as to why that was, revealed itself halfway through the file;  
  
The jounin swallowed thickly, his fingers trembling just a little as he reread the same sentence over and over again, "What the hell...?"  
  
_Uzumaki Naruto, identification number 012607. Kyuubi Jinchuuriki-_  
  
For what it was worth; Taketa always believed something was unusual about Naruto... but he never suspected that his friend was the rumored Gold Cloak that people continued to whisper about.  
  
 Suddenly, a whole lot of things made sense. The timing of Naruto's appearance in Konoha, the adoption of the Sannin and in turn; the close relationship to the Hokage. The terrifying strength the boy possessed and the supposed Kekkei Genkai- which wasn't a Kekkei Genkai at all! Naruto didn't have one... It was the demon fox all along!  
  
"Holy shit..." He whispered, flipping to the next page as a picture of a grown man appeared. "We're fucking idiots..."   
  
Naruto was the master of deception, he'd learned that after the pre-graduation exam all those years ago. Making himself look like a grown man wouldn't be hard and if he wore a cloak like that; he'd be able to go unnoticed.   
  
It was also way before it became common knowledge of how skilled he was with the shadow clone technique and his self-made blood clones.   
  
Taketa bit his lip.  
  
Not to mention; Naruto was the youngest person in known history to reach for a Grand Seal Master title. Naruto was a genius, and compared to him- the rest of the village was nothing short of cavemen.   
  
The TI jounin continued to read the file for a good couple of hours before he closed it- walked back to the shelf and put it back into place.   
  
It was with determined steps that he made his way back to his office, grabbing a chunin by the shoulder on the way there, "Get me Mitarashi Ryouga, immediately. I don't care if he's in the middle of an orgasm- get his fucking ass over to my office  **now!** "  
  
"R-R-R-R-Right!!" The poor chunin shrieked, fleeing the building as fast as he could.

 

* * *

  
  
A handsome black-haired jounin with blue eyes knocked on the door of one; Shimpei Taketa. Why he'd been summoned, he wasn't sure, but he didn't particularly like being interrupted when he was in the middle of pleasing a beautiful woman.   
  
"Get inside." Taketa drawled, and Ryouga swallowed nervously. That didn't sound too good.  
  
The moment he stepped inside of the plain but terrifying office, he immediately knew he wasn't going to like whatever he was going to hear.  
  
"Sit."  
  
Mitarashi did, without question.  
  
Taketa reached for the report he'd written regarding Sayuki's complaint about Naruto. He tossed it into the arms of the unsuspecting flirt. "Read it."  
  
Confused but unable to refuse, Ryouga opened the file and began to read, paling more and more for each paragraph he read.  
  
"Yuki-chan said this...?"  
  
"I want to make something  _perfectly clear_ , **Mitarashi** , " Taketa warned, daring the man to argue, "As you're a jounin that'll soon be under  _my_ command as a part of the TI department, I won't tolerate this anymore. I'm aware of your sister's history and misfortune, but that doesn't excuse her behavior towards fellow shinobi of this village. At this rate, she'll get stripped of her rank and labeled a disgrace."  
  
Ryouga clenched his fists,  embarrassed and humiliated. _Dammit Sayuki... what have you done now?_  
  
"I wouldn't have called you here if I could be certain that my warning to your sister would be taken seriously. But as it stands; I cannot. This time she's taken it too far. This investigation could have caused permanent damage to Uzumaki Naruto's reputation as a jounin of Konoha. I'm sure you're aware by now; that Uzumaki Naruto and Namikaze Minato are partners."  
  
The jounin nodded, each word feeling like a slap in the face. _Dammit, dammit, dammit!!_  
  
"But the two of them aren't just partners, Mitarashi. They're a  _couple_." Ryouga cringed, finally comprehending what a complete clusterfuck his sister had managed to get herself into this time. "By law, Naruto-san has the right to defend his partner against anyone he deems a threat. He can also steer off unwanted attention towards a partner if it's not desired. It's a loop-hole, but due to their new status, they're well protected." Taketa leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk and intertwined his fingers, "I've read Hamada's reports regarding your sister's behavior on the missions that she's gone to along with Minato-san. Her behavior is unacceptable, and it's only because Minato-san is a kind human being that he hasn't reported her for sexual harassment and launched a re-evaluation investigation on her."  
  
"What will happen now?" Ryouga's voice was quiet, resigned. _Of all the things to happen..._  
  
"You either get your sister to shape the fuck up, or you'll find yourself a shinobi short in your family. She'll lose her rank, Mitarashi, and you know what usually happens to people who end up that way. In a worst-case scenario, she could get convicted for sexual harassment if Naruto-san and Minato-san get dragged into this damn mess. She's already attacked them, it's just a matter of time before someone returns the favor."  
  
The handsome jounin nodded, "It won't happen again. I swear."   
  
Taketa leaned back in his chair, "I'd like to believe you, but I don't. This is your final chance, Mitarashi. I'm talking to you out of the good of my heart. I want to believe that your sister can get herself together and speaking to her directly has proven to show no desired effects, as you're well aware."  
  
He spoke nothing but the truth, but Taketa couldn't say with a clean conscious that he'd done all of this just to get Sayuki to shape up. By all rights, he should have followed through with an investigation, but if he did, then Naruto would end up in the line of fire. The council was **cunts** , that much he'd deduced after reading through his file, and if there was one thing he didn't want; it was to made Naruto's life worse than it most likely already was.   
  
_Indeed..._  
  
The man watched Ryouga bow deeply before quietly leaving the room behind.   
  
"I've got your back Naruto."


	54. A Weeping Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> （￣Ω￣）I'm dying, here you go! Chapter 54 (holy shit, what). Next one should be up on Sunday (I think). Don't quote me on that. I have no update schedule. I just put them out when they're finished. WEEKLY UPDATES ARE FOR THE WEAK!

Mitarashi Ryouga had a hard time keeping his temper in check. His blood was practically boiling, and his feet stomped against the ground far more than was necessary as he walked through the village that evening.

He took a final turn, moving directly towards a single floor apartment complex and stopped by the fourth door. With a clenched fist, he made his presence known to the person inside-  _and everyone else in the building..._

At first, nothing happened. But then he could hear the faint sound of a voice and dragging feet.

Sayuki opened the door with a sour-looking face, "What do you want Ryouga? Do you know what time it is?"

"I know damn well what time it is!" The man hissed, pushing the door open and entered despite the protests he met.

Another man, a civilian by the looks of his untrained body, stumbled out of the bedroom. His gaze flickered between the two pissed off shinobi, and a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

" _Get out,_ " Ryouga growled, and the man fled into the bedroom once again to gather his clothes.

"What! What the hell do you think you're doing!? You can't just come in here and drive my friends out!" Sayuki shouted, her voice turning louder and louder for each word. She didn't even notice that her ' _friend_ ' was gone until the front door opened and closed with an audible ' _bang!_ '. Her face turned red, "What's wrong with you!?"

But Ryouga snorted humorlessly, "' _What's wrong with me?'_  No, What's wrong with you!" His voice forced her to take a step back in surprise. She'd never seen him so angry before. Ryouga's blue eyes were livid, blazing with fury. "Do you know where I just came from?"

Sayuki didn't answer, merely took a step back as he moved forward, pointing towards one of the windows of her apartment, "I just came from the damn TI department! I was summoned by my, soon to be,  _fucking boss!_ "

She leaned back against the wall, having an inkling of where her older brother was going with this.

"Did you or did you not, hit Uzumaki Naruto across the  _fucking_  face this morning?" His voice dipped worryingly low. When he received no reply aside from a subtle glare- one of his hands slammed itself into the side of the wall, " _Sayuki!"_

"Fine, I hit him! What's the big deal!? He's a bastard anyway!" She took a daring step forward but quickly regretted it when Ryouga took hold of her arm so tightly she whimpered from the pain.

"It's a ' _big deal'_ because you're a single report away from getting put on probation, and a single complaint away from getting charged with sexual harassment!" His grip tightened even more, but Sayuki didn't seem to notice as her eyes widened in disbelief, "Do you have any idea of what you've done!? The TI has already deemed your behavior unacceptable on the missions you've been on with Namikaze-"

"Minato-kun...?" She asked, but apparently, that was the worst thing she could have said at that moment.

"Enough!" Ryouga shouted, scaring the woman in his hand, "Stop this goddamn obsession you have with Namikaze and Uzumaki! Stay the hell away from them! The two of them are partners and lovers," He shook her slightly, already seeing the denial in her eyes, "Namikaze doesn't give two shits about you! He's just too damn polite to say anything about it. Uzumaki will get away for threatening you because your claims hold no ground. You hit him, assaulted him, and then try to charge him for threatening your life. How damn delusional are you, Sayuki!?"

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Ryouga raised his hand, stopping the argument before it even turned into one, "I'm sick of this, Sayuki. You're going to stay away from those two. They want nothing to do with you, and neither one like you. Namikaze isn't in love with you, and he's not attracted to you. He's fucking a goddamn man! Isn't that enough of an indicator that he isn't interested?" He laughed dryly, ignoring the tears that began to pool in her eyes, "You're so goddamn lucky it's not even funny. If anyone else got a hold of that report, you'd be in prison right now, and you would have lost your status as a shinobi. This isn't a game! You stopped having that privilege the moment you got your headband, I assumed you knew that. But apparently, I was wrong."

"I know it's not a game! But I love Minato-kun-" She cried, but couldn't finish.

"No, you don't! You don't even know what love is anymore!" He argued, growing so sick of everything that he couldn't bring himself to care how much his words hurt her, "You only like him because he reminds you of Tako!"

"Don't talk about him!" Sayuki all but screamed, covering her face with her hands as she slowly sank to the floor, "You promised never to talk about him!"

"And you promised to get your fucking shit together!" Ryouga shouted back, "Get a fucking clue already! That puppy-love you had with Tako was not real love, and you know that just as much as I do! Ever since he left and got himself killed, you've lost all sense of responsibility! For fuck's sake, Sayuki, you left your own goddamn daughter!"

Sayuki heaved, crying uncontrollably, "Stop it! You wouldn't understand!"

"I understand just fine!" He took a step forward, raising one of his hands as he pointed down at his sister in all his fury, "You had a crush on an older shinobi, got yourself knocked up by him when you were fourteen and then decided that life was unfair and everyone else was at fault except for you. News flash; the world doesn't work that way! You were a damn chunin at the time, and you knew what contraception's were, but you just didn't give a shit, did you!? No, instead of getting an abortion you wallowed in self-pity and pretended it wasn't real long enough to waste the time that you had! Now you have a daughter you refuse to see and a reputation that's an embarrassment to the Mitarashi name!"

"I don't want to hear that coming from you!" Sayuki shot back, "You fuck anyone that spreads their legs for you, and you've already got five kids with different bitches that you've bent over!"

The slap across her face was instantaneous and painful, the sound of it echoing and bouncing off the walls of the small apartment.

" _Don't. You. Dare_!" Ryouga warned, "Unlike you, I'm proud of the kids I've got. I see them all every week, I pay for their needs and I know each and every one of them. I can name their best friend's, their fears, favorite food and even their dream for the future. Can you say the same? Can you?" Sayuki looked away, unable to answer. "That's what I thought. Don't put us under the same label, we're  _nothing_  alike."

The man took a step away from her, turning around and moved towards one of the windows while she sat quietly on the floor.

"I know you well enough to know that you won't apologize for your actions on your own since that's what I always have to do in your stead. But this is going to be the last time I cover up your damn mess, Sayuki." Ryouga turned around and glared, "You're going to resign on your own volition, and then you're going to get a civilian job, take custody of your daughter, and stop being such a fucking miserable human being!"

Sayuki's head hung low, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Stay away from Uzumaki and Namikaze." He repeated, making sure his words truly sank into her head, "They're both directly underneath the Sannin and the Hokage. You're just embarrassing yourself with the way you fawn over him, and your reputation gets transferred to your daughter, punishing her for merely being connected to you. If this is the lifestyle you want, then you have to take responsibly for the choices you make. But you know the rules like everyone else does; you don't go after people who're taken. Namikaze is, and that means you'll stay away from him. You know that you're not in love with him, only the idea of him."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration, "I'll admit, he's got some similarities to Tako appearance-wise, but that's about it. Unlike Tako, Namikaze isn't a damn bastard who'd knock up a fourteen-year-old girl and hit the road when he finds out. It's time you stopped trying to find someone that reminds you of him. It's not the type of person you want in your life. Just... enough already..."

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, tears continuing to roll down her cheeks as she stared at the floor unseeingly.

Ryouga's eyes softened, and he made his way towards her, "I love you, Yuki. I only want what's best for you, and to see you happy. But if you continue like this, I won't just lose a sister, but you'll lose yourself." He crouched down in front of her, watching as the woman uncurled herself and leaned against him- seeking comfort, "We'll get through this together, we always do... but you have to put in some effort. This is your last chance..."

"Un."   
  
And that's all Ryouga wanted to hear.

 

* * *

 

Mitarashi Ryouga walked the streets of Konoha the following morning with a building worry for each step that he took.

Even if they came to an agreement the day before, they weren't in the clear just yet. He didn't know if Uzumaki and Namikaze planned on reporting his sister, and that was an uncertainty he couldn't have.

Which was why he was currently walking towards the Sannin's house; to beg on his hands and knees for the two of them to forgive Yuki.

The man stopped in front of a large gate, the pale brown house of the legendary Toad Sage in front of him.

_Why'd you have to go for someone this high up, Sayuki...?_

It took a while, but the man knocked on the door despite how much he'd rather prefer to run away.

For a moment, Ryouga felt a sliver of hope that nobody was at home... until Orochimaru of the Sannin opened the door...  _in his boxers._

"What?" The man drawled. Did the blasted jounin know what time it was?

"A- I- I'm looking for Uzumaki-"

"He doesn't live here anymore." Orochimaru dismissed him and began to turn around, "Next house." A loud ' _bang!_ ' later, and with rapidly blinking eyes, Ryouga slowly turned away from the door that was mere inches from his poor face.

Wrong house...

 

* * *

 

Minato watched Kakashi head upstairs with a small smile on his lips. The boy seemed to really like Naruto- if his awestruck and sparkling eyes were any indication.

_Speaking of awe..._

"Not that I'm complaining," Minato stared shamelessly at the blond jounin, admiring the sight, "But why are you shirtless?" And he  **really**  wasn't complaining.

"Saves taking it off for later," Naruto shrugged, leaning down to peek inside one of the many boxes. "Maybe we should put everything in the yard until we get the furniture up? I don't think it'll rain today."

"Sure, that's fine." But he wasn't really listening. Because when Naruto leaned forward, the muscles on his back would become more noticeable. His shoulder blades only lacked a bit of whipped cream to become utterly irresistible. And Minato felt a somewhat overwhelming desire to  **bite**  him.

He shuddered pleasantly.  _His boyfriend was_ _gorgeous!_ It was still hard to believe that Naruto was  **his!**

"Focus, Mina." Naruto chuckled, not even turning to look at his partner. He could feel him staring from a mile away.

Minato blinked, shaking his head a little and rubbed his eyes, "I'm focusing, I'm focusing!" He slapped his cheeks, forcefully snapping himself out of it.

Meanwhile, Naruto couldn't entirely hide his smile. Minato was just too adorable and transparent at times.

As such, the former Kage straightened his back, turned around and stretched his arms above his head.

Minato's lips parted, eyes widening just a fraction, "That's mean," he decided, but he didn't sound very upset...  _at all,_  actually. "You're doing that on purpose."

"Whatever do you mean?" Naruto looked over his shoulder, the picture-perfect image of innocence.

_"Evil_." If he had a handful of salt, he would have tossed it at him. Unfortunate, he didn't know where Naruto put it since he rarely spent much time in the kitchen. Blast.

"But I suppose you're right. I should put on a shirt. That way I'll get all  _sweaty_." Naruto sighed dramatically but then smirked wickedly, "Water is so  _expensive_ , so we'll have to conserve it. You wouldn't mind  _sharing_ , right?"

Minato's fair complexion changed like the flick of a switch, turning a bright red as a trickle of blood slid down one of his nostrils.

_Share water...? Bath...? Shower...? Both!?_

"N-no mind!" Because that made sense...

Kurama snorted. Apparently, even the Yondaime was capable of thinking with things other than his brain.  **Whoopie-doo...**

Naruto's lips stretched into a humorous smile, barely withholding a laugh as he moved towards his favorite tomato. "Does that mean you ' _don't mind_ ' or ' _have no mind left_ '?"

Minato thought about the question in a mild daze, feeling rather hot and sweaty all of a sudden. Hesitantly, and sheepishly, he said, "Both...?" Because it wasn't far from the truth.

A laugh reached his ears, and Naruto raised his hand to touch Minato's beautiful hair only to-

The doorbell rang, and the two of them couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Naruto pulled back, Minato stubbornly taking a step forward but only received a chuckle for his efforts, "We should probably get that." Naruto's eyes crinkled at the edges.

Minato pulled his lips into a smile, "Yeah." But inwardly he pouted full force. Why couldn't people just go away when  **they**  were busy!?

He hid his sulk expertly, following Naruto out and into the hallway until they opened the front door.

What they saw surprised them, because none of them had any idea of who the hell it was.

"Can we help you?" Naruto wondered, a little confused.

The confusion only increased when said black haired man bowed to the waist, "My name is Mitarashi Ryouga! I'm a jounin from the TI department!"

Minato instinctively moved a little closer to his partner, "Does TI need anything from us?" He asked politely. What did TI want with them?

Naruto felt a growing sense of trepidation, and he almost visibly cringed with Ryouga's next words;

"No, I'm here on behalf of my sister Mitarashi Sayuki," He babbled, still bowing, "I want to apologize directly to the two of you, and especially to you; Uzumaki-san! My little sister had no excuse for hitting you yesterday morning! It was wrong, and I beg of you not to report her- despite the file of complaint she issued against you for threatening her when she overstepped. I sincerely apologize on behalf of the Mitarashi family!"

Naruto paled. An issue of complained...? That would go to the damn council!

Minato felt his pulse pick up speed and his blood grow warmer, "She  _hit_  him?" He repeated quietly.

At that moment, a single word flashed through the minds of two people at the same time;

_Crap_.

"Y-Yes." Ryouga could practically feel the frost that seeped into the air from the blond. He was  **not**  happy. And, apparently, Naruto hadn't told his partner about the incident either.  _Good job, Ryouga. Fucking splendid!_

Naruto slipped his hand into Minato's, only to get stung by his chakra and was forced to let go again. He suppressed a wince but resigned himself to the idea that he'd fucked up. However, he did have a reason for not telling him.

"And why,  **exactly** , did she hit him?"

Honestly, it was a little scary when Minato was angry. Because he'd speak in a really soft voice, and you could see in his eyes that he was a millisecond away from pulling out a kunai and aiming it at your balls.

Any other moment, Naruto would have found it rather...  _appealing_ , but as it was partly aimed at him;  _not so much._

"My sister didn't think Uzumaki-san was taking her seriously." Ryouga's clenched his eyes shut, wishing himself away.

"So she  **hit**  him?" Minato took a step outside of the door, and Naruto quickly took hold of his hand again- ignoring the chakra that kept attacking his skin like needles. It wasn't personal, at least he didn't think it was. Minato was just angry. "Why did he threaten her?" He tugged at his arm, out of Naruto's hold- but he didn't continue forward.

"She said some inappropriate-"

" _She claimed,_ " Naruto let out a sigh and turned to his partner. There was no point in sugarcoating it when Minato was already so upset, "That I knew that she liked you and that I  _clearly_  felt threatened by that. So I took you 'by force' to stop you from 'picking her.'" He rolled his eyes, but Minato's only grew harder, his anger making chakra seep out of his pores, "I told her to get lost."

Which, Ryouga mentally noted, was vague as shit.

"I see." Minato sent a ' _we'll talk about this later_ '-look at his boyfriend, then turned back to the TI jounin who still bowed. "And why shouldn't I report her for sexual harassment? I have plenty of evidence." He asked flatly, ready to crucify the woman at this point.

Horror pooled inside of the poor man's stomach as he thought of the severe consequences that his sister would face if he did. "Please...!" Was all he could say. And he could have kissed Naruto when the man spoke.

"You're overreacting, Mina. She slapped me, Fine. But I scared her shitless in return. Maybe she just panicked and went to TI on a whim? It doesn't matter anymore, it's done and over with. I can't say I'm all that happy about being reported, but there's nothing we can do about it-"

"Actually," A new voice spoke up, and Taketa walked through the gate to the property, "I caught the report before it was issued and sent to the top. You're in the clear."

"Taketa!" Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. _Holy shit, thank god._ "What are you doing here?" In uniform as well. He'd only seen him in his long dark grey uniform a handful of times. And now he had a black trench coat as well. Which reminded him a lot of Morino Ibiki. The only thing missing would be the fucked up scars, bandana, and the shitty attitude.

Taketa sent him a grin and a peace-sign, slapping poor Ryouga on the shoulder, "You've said your piece. Off you go." But he could have just as well have told him to 'fuck off.' The underlying message was the same.

"Uzumaki-san, Namikaze-san!" He backed away, and then turned and left in a hurry.

The was a moment of silence before Minato turned to glare at his partner, "Why didn't you tell me!?" He demanded.

But Taketa felt it prudent to change the direction of the conversation. There was something Naruto had to know before he said anything else, "Guess what!" He exclaimed, almost sweat-dropping at the long-suffering look from his friend and the death glare from Minato. "I'm the official head of the TI department! Taadaa!" He did a funny show of jazz-hands.

Naruto stilled before his words came out on autopilot, "That's awesome, congratulations man."

Minato said nothing, still too livid to be polite, so it was better to be quiet.

"Yeah," Taketa shoved his hands into his pockets, a bored look slipping onto his face, "Been holed up in that bunker for ages now; reading files and stuff."

Minato could almost feel how Naruto suddenly stopped breathing. He turned to the side, only to feel some of his anger drip away and get replaced by worry and a little fear.

Naruto was ashen, pale as death and his lips were pressed into a thin line. The lines of his face were sharp and hard, his fingers curled up into clenched fists and his cerulean eyes speaking of  _nothing_. They were unreadable.

"So you know." He stated, not asking.

Taketa met his gaze dead on, "Aa, I know. It's part of my job now."

"I see."

Minato looked between the two. It didn't take a genius to see that Taketa knew something about him that Naruto didn't want him to. And it seemed to scare him that he did. The tension was high.

"Wouldn't want those bastards getting in your hair, so I took some liberties with the report." Taketa continued, and Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion, "You got lucky this time. I hope you're aware."  
  
Had Taketa...?

"Who?" Minato hated this; knowing that they spoke of things he couldn't know, so they talked over his head on purpose. It hurt, making him feel left out and not trustworthy.

But to his and Taketa's surprise, Naruto elaborated, "The council will take any excuse they can get their hands on to put me behind bars. They hold grudges."

"He knows about it?" The older man asked, visibly surprised.

Naruto nodded, "I told him I've been a prime suspect for murder, yeah. It proved difficult to hide when they tried to make me snap in front of the Hokage while he was there."

Minato watched Taketa frown, "Hmm... I see. Well," he turned to Minato, "I figure he didn't tell you about the whole Sayuki-incident, correct?"

"He didn't..." He confirmed, not really sure if he could justify the last bit of anger that lingered anymore. 

"The reason is simple; if he attracts the attention of the council, you'll be a partner short. It doesn't matter if he was proven innocent, they want his head anyway." Minato lips parted in shock, and he absently reached for his boyfriend's hand, "Even if someone breaks into your house, Naruto would be forced to keep a low profile and stay out of the way. Something as small as a stupid argument in the street can cause a bloody disaster for him right now."

"Until I build up my reputation enough to become someone that'll remain protected in the public eye, I'll have to keep out of legal issues. I just didn't want to draw attention to myself." Naruto's fingers intertwined with his, "I knew you'd get angry, but if you reported her, it would backfire and put me on the block."

Minato paled, slowly comprehending that his previous threat to report Sayuki would have made him lose Naruto instead of protecting him. What had he almost done!?

"I didn't know..." He whispered, fingers trembling slightly.

"But it's been taken care of." Taketa reminded, smirking, "TI got your back."

Minato smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Taketa-san."

"No problem, blondie. It's what I do~."

But Naruto remained silent. Taketa knew he was a Jinchuuriki, and frankly, he had no idea what to do about it. He wasn't ready for people to know yet.

"What happens now?" He asked, voice uncertain and hesitant. His partner looked at him in confusion but said nothing.

"About  _that?_ " The new head of TI fixed him with an unreadable look, "The only thing happening now," He smirked, "Is that you owe me a bigger beer."

Naruto's throat constricted, and a genuine smile stretched across his face, "Maa, I guess I can pay this time."

"Now!" Taketa clapped his hands and beamed, "How's the new Saturday hang-out spot looking?"

"Saturday-what?" The blonds chorused despairingly.

 

* * *

 

She knocked on the door, nauseous and scared. It would have been easier to face the fury of the Hokage than this.

The red door was pulled open, revealing an elderly woman with grey hair and with more wrinkles than she hadn't. Upon seeing Sayuki, her kind and soft brown eyes hardened, and she crossed her arms, "Can I help you?"

Sayuki swallowed, "I-I want to see her."

"Are you taking her then?" The woman almost accused.

The jounin's eyes turned to the ground, and she slowly shook her head.

"Then  _what_  do you want?" The woman repeated coldly.

Tears burned behind her eyelids, but she pressed on. There was no going back now. "I'm want to do better," Her voice wavered, "It's going to take time, I know. I- I want to be a good mother. I want to be there for her, properly this time."

The older woman didn't seem convinced, but she stepped aside, "For your sake, I hope you're serious. If you hurt that girl more than you already have, I'll take care of you  _myself_."

"Yes, grandmother..."

It took a short while to walk through the house to reach the backyard, but once they did; Sayuki saw a small girl sitting on the grass with a pair of colorful buckets and spades.

"You have a visitor!" The older woman hollered across the yard.

The child, not older than four and a half, looked up and expected to see her friend with pretty red eyes. But not this. Not her.

"Mommy?"

Sayuki slowly sank down on her knees, tears pooling in her eyes, "Anko-chan." She smiled as the tears spilled over.

Anko dropped her pretty pink spade and launched herself at the woman that looked exactly like all the pictures she'd seen in the house.

"Mommy!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I like Sayuki. She's a fascinating character(doesn't mean she has to be likeable). And as you might have started to notice; I'm giving several characters a proper backstory. Sayuki will be in the story, but she won't have a tremendous amount of "screen time". She's there for Anko's sake and to help drive the plot forward. Think about it: where would Naruto's and Minato's relationship be if Sayuki wasn't there to cause a ruckus?
> 
> There's going to be a lot of new characters due to the simple fact that this is an era that's largely unexplored in the anime and manga. For example, who's Taketa? Hamada? Risa? Sayuki and Ryouga? Why haven't I used already existing characters? Also, don't expect things to be the same as in canon. It's not going to be. Cause and effect folks. Subtle changes; a word here and a death there. It piles up.
> 
> And I wanted to just throw it out there that I'm writing this fic as a form of self-indulgence(for me). I like writing about more than just Naruto and Minato because the world is bigger than those two alone. Developing multiple characters in stages help to build a solid foundation of a brand new world(which this is in a way). It makes it feel more fleshed out and less shallow.
> 
> I'm aware that some things might not be exciting right now, but I write everything for a reason. All the seemingly useless small-talk exist to tie together either past or future events. For example, foreshadowing is the shit. There are already so much of it in the story that I can bet my ass on that you guys haven't even noticed most of it yet. 
> 
> And yes, it's a long fic. I'm aware. I like writing long fics, fight me. Congrats on making it to chapter 54, and have a nice weekend!


	55. Captain Toto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I regret nothing.

Taketa trotted into their house, skipping over boxes like a pony with little concern of how stupid he looked.

Meanwhile, Naruto guiltily looked at his most precious person, "Are you angry at me for not telling you?"

The truth was that Minato wanted to be a little bit angry about it. But after the short conversation with Taketa, such a thing was impossible. If anything, he felt guilty for almost putting his boyfriend and partner in the line of fire, "I'm not," He admitted quietly, reaching out to take hold of Naruto's arm and lean up against his shoulder, "I want to be... a little, but I can't. You did the right thing," He continued and looked down, "I get upset when people hurt you." He'd been prepared to throw someone in _jail_ for _slapping_  his boyfriend. Perhaps he was  **slightly**  overprotective of Naruto. _Slightly_.

"So do I." Naruto raised his hand and tilted Minato's chin up and towards him, "I may or may not have gotten purple eyes and grown my teeth out a little to scare her," Minato's eyes widened, "And then said I'd become her worst nightmare unless she left you alone."

"What?" That wasn't anywhere near  _'Get lost'_!

"Nobody hurts my Mina," The jounin leaned down, giving him a gentle kiss that made Minato's knees grow weak.

"Ahem," Taketa cleared his throat, grinning from ear to ear as the two blonds parted with more than a little effort, "I'd tell you to get a room, but it's your house... so I'll settle for just watching."

Naruto raised an amused brow, gently pulling Minato in front of him, and draped his arms around his shoulders, "I didn't peg you for a peeper, Taketa. One day people will misunderstand and put you behind bars."

Minato smiled, pressing his back against the bare skin of Naruto's chest. He could get used to this kind of life.

"Maa, Maa!" Taketa laughed nervously, "I'm actually a big deal around this place, so people wouldn't do that!"

The shorter blond thoughtfully tilted his head to the side, "But sensei is also a big deal in Konoha. And sensei almost died when he peeped in the hot springs. Tsunade beat him half to death with her superhuman strength." Minato smiled, all sweet as sugar and innocent as a newborn. "She's our neighbor."

Naruto's lips pulled into a wicked smile, and Taketa tugged at his own collar uncomfortably, "I'ma... You know. I've got places to be and people to torture. HEH, SEE YOU GUYS LATER!" He all but flew out of the door and took a bee-line to the TI department- kicking up dust as he went.

"You're evil," Naruto chuckled, nuzzling into the side of Minato's head. "He might not come back now."

"He has a tendency to stay in people's homes until they throw him out, or so I've heard. I just encouraged him to get back to work before he trips over our furniture and breaks something." Minato turned around, wrapping his arms around his partner's waist, "We know where to find him."

"We do," Naruto agreed and pulled him a little closer, "Satoru has made you into quite a cunning little trickster these days."

Minato's eyes sparkled with mischief, "What can I say? Foxes are my spirit animal."

**_'It's everyone's spirit animal.'_**  Kurama declared firmly,  ** _'Foxes are superior to all others.'_**

_'Even Madara?'_

**_'Fuck Madara, he's nothing but a sea worm!'_ **

Naruto smiled, "Does that mean you get along with Satoru and the Foxes?"

"I do! But I think I like Toto-chan the most, he's very cute."

Toto was a rather small red fox. Not bigger than a Corgi. The poor thing also had a screw loose and looked a little rabid. He had a tendency to stare at his nose and try to lick it at the same time, yip at the strangest of things and had a  **vivid** imagination. Naturally, Minato thought the creature was the cutest thing in the world and summoned him to spend time together when he was bored. Toto spun the most outrageous of tales and pulled so much shit out of his ass that it was impossible not to laugh.

He was also missing a couple of teeth(his front ones mainly) after having hit one too many trees during his delivery training. For whatever reason, Toto insisted that he had to be a Delivery Fox. One could only mourn the messages that would never arrive under his watch.

"Aah... the crazy one." Naruto sweat-dropped.

"He's just a little unique." Minato chuckled.

"That's what they all say. Ero-sennin was described as unique once upon a time. Now he's just an idiot." The jounin mourned, "We better choose our friends carefully from now on, or our reputation will go down."

Minato snorted, "And Taketa is a five-star in the sanity department."

Naruto sniffed, "He's  _unique!_ "

"That's what they all say."

 

* * *

 

Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya were dressed in yukata. All of them sitting in a sea of papers and documents that were scattered around them in a chaotic mess. Or so one would think when seeing it. To them, at least, it made  _some_  sense.

"We stopped  _that_  mission from going sideways." He pointed at a piece of paper on the floor, "But without Danzo in play, it's hard to know what missions we have to shadow. Things are already so different." Jiraiya flipped to another paper in his hand and ran a hand through his hair. "He had his hands on so many things it's difficult to tell them apart."

"But we're making big progress." Tsunade reminded, "If what the pond showed us is true, then most of my clan was gone by the time the war finished. That's not the case anymore. It's just as big as the Uchiha clan."

"Indeed." Orochimaru mused aloud, "It would seem that Nawaki was the beginning of the end for the Senju clan. But with Nawaki alive and Danzo dead, there's no telling what will happen next."

"I'd like to think that's a good thing." Jiraiya sighed heavily, "But that also means that our ability to predict future events are going to decrease. The more changes that occur, the less useful our knowledge will be."

There was a moment of silence as the three of them contemplated what that meant. It was true, what he said. The more things that changed, the fewer things they'd be able to predict and prevent. In the end, some things would be out of their hands.

"What about Naruto's clones?" Jiraiya glanced at his blond teammate as she spoke, "Have they reported any oddities lately?"

Naruto, while he couldn't openly aid the Sannin since he was the Jinchuuriki and now partnered, he was still the master of deception. Naruto could make countless clones and mingle them into different places. They didn't even have to be humans; animals were just as common. Transformation jutsu's were his specialty, and the use of clones had turned out to be a godsend.

They didn't have to meet up and talk about their plans. Naruto learned them through the memories of his clones, and if something came up, then the reverse was just as easy. It made planning and gathering information simple and effective.

It didn't take long for Tsunade and Orochimaru to understand that Naruto was an excellent information gatherer and infiltration specialist. The things he could squeeze out of people was beyond impressive, if not a little alarming. He was also the primary driving force for finding all the remaining Root agents that'd taken to hiding in plain sight.

"None." Orochimaru picked up another paper from the floor, "Only that the most recent report stated that Shimpei Taketa will be the head of the TI department from now on. And apparently, he intercepted a filed complaint about Naruto. If he hadn't, it would have reached the Hokage and the elders. I believe it's safe to assume that the TI will take Naruto's side from now on."

Jiraiya smirked, "Of all the people to become friends with. Naruto sure knows how to pick 'em."

"Was Taketa-san the head of TI in your old timeline too?" Tsunade wondered. She couldn't recall having seen him in the pond.

"For a couple of years. Taketa-san died in the Kyuubi attack. After that, the TI had no head for some years until Morino Ibiki got old enough to take up the mantle. But if rumors are to be believed," A lecherous grin formed on the Toad Sage's mouth, "Then we  _definitely_  don't have to worry about a Kyuubi attack in the future."

"Yes," Orochimaru raised an amused brow, "Uzumaki Kushina aside... Unless Minato can find a way to make Naruto pregnant, then I'm quite sure that we'll see no seal breaking anytime soon, if ever."

The other two snorted in amusement. When the news reached them that Naruto and Minato were a little more than just partners, the general reaction was:  _About damn time!_ It was obvious enough to them that neither Minato nor Naruto had realized just how attracted to each other they really were. At least that they had in common. Dense.

And Jiraiya didn't know about other people, but if the tension between the two blonds got any higher, then he would have had to lock them in a closet to get some of that tension out. Dark and tight places usually brought forth some of the naughtier sides of a person. Or maybe that was just him. Anyhow~

The three of them had been too busy to think of much else but their own plans. That vacation they'd been able to get for Minato and Naruto was partly because they deserved it, but also because that meant that it was fewer things to worry about.

They could tease and bully the two of them later.

"Anyway," Tsunade cleared her throat, a small smile still lingering on her lips, "What's our next move? The war is moving away from the borders and into the country. At this rate, sensei will have to start sending out Chunin to cover all the villages. We've been able to contain their forces decently, but it's just a matter of time before we have to fall back and regroup."

Jiraiya hummed thoughtfully, "This war will wrap up in a year or so. They never got very far inside of Fire country the first time around. Luckily we've got the advantage of knowing where they will go, and with the excuse of my spy-network, we can sell that information to sensei without raising suspicion. This war is going to end in our favor with acceptable loses."

"I sense a  _but_  coming." The woman sighed. Some things were just too good to be true.

"This war was never the problem." He continued, frowning, "It's the next one that we should be worried about. It picks up after two years of fragile peace treaties. So we've got three years before the Third Shinobi World War is declared."

"We're not even out of the second one, and we're already planning for the third..." She grimaced in disgust.

"The smaller countries will band together and declare war. It's unavoidable. This war started long before Naruto, and I got here, so it wasn't preventable. The easiest way we've found is to let it play out the way it did the first time around- with some interventions, of course." The white-haired man dropped the papers on the floor, "There's a lot of things that happen in the next war that needs to happen the same way if we hope to stop them. It's where everything started going wrong the first time. And unfortunately, that's when we will have to step aside to leave it to Naruto. We'll be on the front lines and if sensei sticks to the script, then Minato will be leading a genin team at the time."

"Obito, huh?"

"Obito." The man confirmed. "We've bolstered our forces by keeping the Senju and several other high-ranking jounin alive. We'll win the war, just like we did the first time around and hopefully, we won't be seeing the same amount of loss like last time. It's a gamble- it always is... but we've done the best that we can."

"We've still got plenty of things to work on. Sakumo, for example. Losing him would put a dent in our ranks." Orochimaru reminded. The silver-haired jounin was powerful and influential. Losing him would hurt.

"Which poses other problems." Tsunade sighed, "We have no information about the mission he'll take."

"It's S-ranked, that much we know." Jiraiya agreed, "But that also means that we won't be able to get any more information unless we break into sensei's office around the time of the mission. Unfortunately, that won't be possible with the security he has at the moment. I've got an estimate; eight to nine months from now. He'll take another two months, and then he'll commit suicide."

"Right before the end of the war." Orochimaru couldn't help but see the irony.

"And judging by the timeline, we won't be in the village during his mission. It's going to be impossible for us to track him down when we don't know the exact details."

"It's a long shot," Jiraiya said thoughtfully, "But perhaps we can go about this differently."

The two Sannin opposite him nodded for him to continue.

"So far we've worked by preventing things from happening. Assisting in the shadows. But there are some things we can't do without having it come back and bite us in the ass. Unfortunately, we all know that there's much more at stake here than just Sakumo. If we can't find a way around this mission, then we'll have to do what we can when Sakumo returns."

"To stop him from killing himself." Tsunade nodded in agreement, "It's worth considering. S-ranked missions don't get filed until the mission is over and completed. Even if we searched sensei's office, there's no guarantee we would find anything to help us. Besides, if we act like we know too much- people will catch on."

"Indeed." Orochimaru allowed his eyes to roam over the many documents and reports on the floor, "Losing him would be a great loss, but in the face of losing Konoha- one cannot compare."

"We'll do what we can, and I'll inform Naruto about it, he might be able to think of something." The Toad Sage said, "I don't like it, but we don't have much of a choice unless we go to sensei and explain everything."

"And that's not an option." Orochimaru agreed, "He's a great man, but he wouldn't let something like this drop. And he most certainly wouldn't allow us to make plans without his approval."

"But we knew that," Their resident princess shrugged, "We've known that we would be on our own all along. So far we've done an impressive amount of work. To have it taken out of our hands right now would just be counter-productive. It would take too much time and effort to explain. Time and effort lost to other things."

"Not to mention, information in this village has a habit of spreading. It's wiser to remain as small of a group as possible."

"Right, so who's our next damsel in distress then?"

 

* * *

 

Kakashi was pretty sure he was making bank at the moment. To complete two A-ranked missions in three days? Heh, yeah. Suck on that Chunins!  
  
It was with a smug smirk he dropped the paintbrush in the empty paint bucket and stepped back, eyeing his work with a critical but satisfied look.  _Spotless_.  
  
His father would be super impressed when he got back!  
  
Kakashi picked up a piece of paint-stained cloth from the paper-covered floor and wiped his hands. With a final look around the room, he left it behind to head downstairs to deliver his report on a job successfully completed.   
  
However, sometimes it didn't matter if one was considered an adult once you received your hitai-ate. Kakashi was still only five-years-old and harbored the curiosity of one. Which was why he walked past the staircase and headed deeper into the house. He'd been in the majority of the rooms already. But there was one room he hadn't been in; their room.  
  
He knew he shouldn't press his luck. It was very unprofessional, but he couldn't help himself.  
  
Silently, although not a quiet as he would have hoped; Kakashi slowly pried the door to the master bedroom open.   
  
What he'd expected, he honestly had no idea. But he wasn't expecting a double bed. Because surely, the two of them didn't sleep in the same bed? It must be for practical reasons since the house was such a mess with no furniture and stuff. Yeah, that was definitely it.  
  
He backed away, closing the door quietly and decided he'd snooped around enough. It felt nice to leave the strong scent of paint behind, and head downstairs where the place was slowly taking shape and transforming into a livable home.   
  
"AAH! Don't chew on that Toto-chan!"  
  
"Ohoy Minions!" A strange voice sang, and Kakashi furrowed his brows in confusion, "I'm the one known as Captain TOTO! FEARED BY ALL AND LOVED BY MORE!" Something crashed, and a voice shrieked.  
  
Kakashi slowly turned the corner and stared, unable to comprehend what the hell was happening. Naruto was on the floor face down- seemingly knocked out with suspicious bite marks on his head. On top of the jounin's head was a red fox(which honestly looked like it had rabies) who was shouting and singing like a drunk sailor before he leaped away again. Minato was, for lack of better words; running around like an idiot as he tried to catch all the things the demon-spawn knocked over as he went.   
  
"YO-HOY OHOY BOOM BOOM BOOM CANNONS STRIKE O-HOY!" The red fox sang, running around the knocked out jounin while being chased by the other. Suddenly, the deranged creature noticed the poor genin in the room- and zeroed in on him and leaped for his face.  
  
"I SPOT YOU, EVIL Q-TIP! I'LL TAKE YOU ON AND SHOW YOU-" Kakashi side-stepped, and the Fox rammed it's head straight into the wall, sliding down the side of it. It slowly stood back up, swayed a little on its feet as a pair of stars swam around in its eyes, "Toto has an ouchie..." He slurred right before he turned into a poof of chakra smoke and disappeared.   
  
With a groan, Minato sank down on the floor, panting slightly as he quietly regretting his decision to summon the little fox. Why did he have to prove a point when, deep down, he'd known Naruto was right? Toto was _a bit_  crazy.   
  
"Erm..." Kakashi tried to melt the scene, only to receive a sheepish smile from the blond jounin. The one that was conscious that is. "Does this file under _'need to know basis'?"_ He wondered. __  
  
Minato chuckled, mirth shimmering in his eyes, "That was Toto-chan, he's one of my Fox summons. I tried to prove a point; that he wasn't crazy, as Naru stated." He scratched the back of his head, "Apparently, I was wrong."  
  
"You were." The genin confirmed flatly, and Minato sweat-dropped at his bluntness. "Is he alive?"  
  
Minato's eyes widened a fraction, and he spun around to check on his partner, "H-hey, you alive Naru?" He nudged him with his hand, "Toto-chan is gone now."  
  
There was no response, only a bit of foam slipping past Naruto's lips as a groan escaped him.   
  
Awkwardly, the jounin chuckled, half-worried and half-guilty. "Whoops?"  
  
Despite it all, Kakashi had to bite his bottom lip not to laugh at the sight. The two of them made a strange pair, "I've finished painting. Is there anything else you want me to do while I'm here?" He asked, deciding that a distraction was in order.  
  
"Ah, erm... Well, we were planning on organizing the boxes and placing them in the right rooms... But I'm a man short." He sheepishly smiled. "My bad."  
  
"Are there any names on them?"  
  
"No, you'll have to open them and guess, I think. Try to find all the kitchen equipment first, then the bathroom. Those two should be easier."  
  
The boy nodded and left the room. Preparing himself for the next part of his mission.  
  
He would not fail!  
  


 

* * *

  
  
Naruto woke up with a splitting headache. Groaning as he pushed himself up and into a sitting position. The first thing he noticed was Kakashi standing by a giant pile of boxes.   
  
"What happened?" He asked, confused and a little disorientated.   
  
"I believe you were attacked by the Fox, Toto. I think he bit you, you had foam coming from your mouth. You should probably get yourself checked for rabies." The boy informed, strictly professional and completely ignoring the fact that they'd left him on the floor for a couple of hours.   
  
"Eh? Ah- AH! MINA!" The jounin dragged himself up on his feet, "You planned that!" The young man accused as he tried to steady himself.  
  
"No, I didn't!" Came a voice from the kitchen and then quickly accompanied by footsteps, "How was I supposed to know he thought you looked like a whale!?"  
  
"He tried to eat me!" Naruto shrieked.  
  
"Well," Minato entered the living room, a blush on his face, "He failed didn't he?"  
  
Naruto gaped, then glared. "Sofa."  
  
Minato's lips parted in shock, "You can't do that!"  
  
" _Sofa!_ "  
  
 _Dammit, he wouldn't be able to cuddle and kiss and nuzzle and- **grrr! NO SOFA!**_  "Fine, I'm sorry!" Minato shoved his hands into his pockets like a sulking child.  
  
"You're still sleeping on the sofa tonight." Naruto sniffed, moving his arms across his chest.   
  
The shorter blond pouted, "It's cold."  
  
"A fox tried to  _eat my face._ " Naruto felt inclined to remind his partner who's cheeks puffed up. "Wear a blanket."  
  
Minato tsk'ed, and then walked back into the kitchen with a bit of a stomp to his steps.  
  
Meanwhile, Kakashi watched the two in silence. Was it normal for older boys to act that way? Maybe all jounin was strange. Except for his father, of course. He was the best and completely normal.   
  
"I still recommend getting checked for rabies." Kakashi decided.  
  
Kurama cackled.   
  


 

* * *

  
  
Minato sat down on the sofa, pouting with a blanket in his hands. "I said I was sorry. How was I supposed to know he'd try to eat his face off?" He said to himself, glaring down at the dark grey furniture that had a severe lack of Naruto on it.   
  
Feeling a little sorry for himself at the lack of cuddles and kisses, Minato laid down and pulled the blanket over his shoulders.   
  
After twisting and turning for half an hour, he gave up. "I can't sleep." He informed the darkness of the room, only to get a reply;  
  
"Me neither." The all too familiar voice of Naruto said.   
  
Minato instantly sat up, "Naru!"  
  
"I still haven't forgiven you for trying to feed me to your deranged pet." Naruto huffed, slowly climbing onto the sofa as well.   
  
A tall and warm body moved into Minato's personal space and gently pressed him back onto the sofa again. Arms wrapping around his body as Naruto's breath touched the skin of his neck.   
  
"Wasn't my punishment to sleep on the sofa?" He wondered, although he  **definitely**  wasn't complaining about the new arrangements.   
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"I never said  _I_  couldn't sleep on the sofa too."  _Technically_... that was true.  
  
Minato smiled, seeking out Naruto's lips through his warm breath and stole a kiss when he found them.   
  
"I promise not to let my deranged pet eat you again." He felt Naruto smile against his lips.  
  
"Does that mean you admit I was right?"  
  
"...Maybe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still regret nothing. 
> 
> What's your favourite Naruto ship of all time and why? I'm curious to know.   
> I'm all for Kakashi/Naruto and Minato/Naruto (obviously). Their dynamic is really interesting!


	56. Oh, the irony...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ze plot is back in business! DUN DUN DUUUUN!  
> (ノ￣ー￣)ノ I suppose you could say that we're entering a new arc in a way.

Minato and Naruto stood in the Hokage's office. Their vacation had lasted for two weeks and had now come to an end. As such, it was time to get back to work.

Their vacation together had changed a lot of things. For starters, they were partners now. A form of career relationship that lasted until one of them either died or both retired. In other words; for life. It was something people rarely did. Fighting amongst teammates was common and fallouts even more so. It was a bold decision to tie oneself to a team with the same people for years to come and without the ability to move to a different one if something happened.

But they had done it.

It was Minato and Naruto now. A duo. A dyad.

There were already rumors going around(courtesy of Inoichi) that the two of them had entered a partnership and lived together. Which in turn caused a whole heap of _new_ rumors to arise on top of the already existing ones.

Which weren't exactly lies.

They  _did_  live together, they ate together and even slept in the same bed. Confirming just about all of them.

Then, of course, was the fact that they had a change of hobbies and interests these days.

Sure, Minato still loved books and reading, but if he had to choose between reading and Naruto, then he might as well torch the books right now.

It didn't matter if they were exhausted or not. Because if they had a moment to spare, a little time over, they either spent it sitting on each other's laps or leaning up against a wall somewhere, kissing and exchanging an impressing amount of saliva.

It was their new favorite pastime. Not that anyone could blame them.

Naruto, while he hadn't openly complimented Minato on his growing kissing-talents, felt like he was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. More often then not, it was Minato who crawled on top of him, pinning him down to steal a few kisses and leave Naruto wanting more.

It could be a little frustrating at times, but the teasing and suggestive actions of the shorter jounin left him positively enchanted and bewitched. It was enough for Minato to smile  _just_  the  _right_ way these days, and Naruto would be reeled in like a fish on a hook- prepared to do whatever his partner wanted.

Jiraiya called it a _honeymoon-phase,_  but neither one of them believed that. A honeymoon typically lasted for a month before it was back to business. Calling it something like that would indicate that it was something that would cool off and change as time went on. However, it was for that reason that none of them believed the Sannin. Every single day that passed merely increased their affections for one another and the ability to keep their hands to themselves proved more difficult.

Every day was spent spoiling each other; a 'Good morning' make-out session was a typical affair, and then there was a whole bunch of touching and clinging. They had no doubt that people probably found them sweet to an almost sickening degree at this point. Shikaku sure did, and he wasn't afraid to point it out. Then again, nobody asked him to drop by when they were so clearly  ** _busy_**.

"Have the two of you settled into your new home yet?" The Hokage inquired. He too had heard the many rumors going around the village regarding their resident troublemakers. Ever since Minato acquired his Fox summons, the boy had become a whole lot more mischievous. Where there was trouble; one could be sure that  **both**  were involved one way or another. Minato may be the one to appear innocent and easily roped into things- but Hiruzen knew better than that.

Jiraiya had been more than happy to inform that the boy had put poor Naruto to shame during several of their more colorful and lively pranks.

Still. His eyes moved between the two, observing their growing smiles and the faint blush on both of their cheeks. It looked like more than a few rumors were proving to be true...

_Ah... Young love._

"Just about settled." Naruto's smile turned to a subtle smirk, and he glanced at his partner who's face mirrored his own. "Still got some stuff to do though."

The Hokage almost sweat-dropped. They sure weren't embarrassed about their new relationship.

The man cleared his throat, "Perfect. From now on, the two of you will be quite busy so don't expect to be home a lot. You already have an excellent track-record and on top of that: people like you. It's not much of a surprise that clients from your previous missions continue to request the two of you specifically. However, as jounin, you will be handling higher-ranking missions most of the time."

It would be a waste of time and resources for two talented jounin to handle anything below B-ranks. Especially two partnered jounin.

"There's also the matter of your current rank, Naruto." The Hokage added, and Naruto nodded, "You're Anbu, and they don't particularly like losing their members."

"If I have to, I'll join too," Minato spoke up, eyes determined and resolved. If it would make it easier for the two of them, then he'd do anything. He wouldn't mind becoming Anbu for Naruto.

Hiruzen smiled knowingly while Naruto gently touched his partner's hand to tell him that it was okay the way it was- that he didn't  _have_ to. But there was no need for that because the professor always had a plan, "I have thought about that, and I've come to a compromise that I believe would suit you both."

Naruto's attention moved back to the old man, and he furrowed his brows suspiciously, "A compromise?"

"Indeed. For a year or so, you'll remain ordinary jounin and carry out your duties like usual. Next year, I'd like the two of you to enter the Anbu ranks to gain experience. I'm sure you're both aware that the war is getting worse by the day. We need more competent and combat ready shinobi in our ranks."

They nodded seriously. The fighting had been somewhat isolated during their chunin days, and Jiraiya mostly kept them away from it. The war had mainly taken place in the smaller countries that had more or less turned into battlefields for the Great nations. Cruel but true. But that was changing, and reports of advancement into Fire Country was becoming a trend these days. They had to be ready to defend their land.

"Yes, sir." They chorused.

"But you're both new to this partnership, and it would be unwise to throw you to the  _beasts_  so soon." Hiruzen's hat covered a good portion of his face- hiding the victorious smirk that stretched across his lips, "I decided that something a little more...  _close to home..._  would be the perfect assignment for the two of you to start out with. To get used to each other and perhaps learn a thing or two."

Minato appeared curious, and Naruto had a sinking feeling he knew exactly was the old man was talking about-  ** _and he'd rather fucking pass_** ** _!_**

"Starting this afternoon, you'll spend four weeks as temporary Academy teachers." Naruto's eyebrow twitch, "You'll be in charge of a class of your own," The jounin closed his eyes tightly, "and I do hope to see some interesting developments during the month of your stay." His fist clenched tightly, "I'm certain you'll do just fine." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Have fun."

"Dismissed."

Naruto tried to smile.  **Really** ,  _he did_. But somehow he just looked closer to murder that way.

 

* * *

 

"The last time I was teaching here," Naruto grimaced as if though there was a foul smell in the air, "People died, and Taketa lost an arm."

Minato scratched the back of his head, "He got it back..." He tried. But really, he was just grasping at straws.

" _A man cut his_ ** _arm_** _off._ " He repeated flatly, and his friend smiled sheepishly. "This better be labeled as a damn A-rank." Naruto looked around himself, memorizing all the escape-routes, "It sure as hell ain't a C-rank mission. This place is trouble." His gaze flickered over the building, mistrust, and suspicion in his eyes.

However, ever the optimist that his partner was,

"But we  _like_  trouble, right?" Minato reminded and leaned a little closer, smiling innocently.  _He_ sure liked the trouble they got in. It tended to end up with their shirts mysteriously disappearing, a dark corner finding itself occupied and _lots_  of lip-locking and touching.

Naruto's heart picked up its pace, and he stared at his partner. He swallowed audibly as his mind took him back to a memory with _their_  definition of 'trouble.'  _He_ ** _did_** _like_ ** _their_** _trouble._  "...Do you think we'll get fired if we borrow an empty classroom later?" He asked, mouth turning a little dry as he felt a steadily increasing urge to press the gorgeous blond up against a wall somewhere.

Minato smirked and drew nearer, placing a teasing kiss on his cheek, "We might get caught." He whispered with a voice coated in honey. When he said it like that; one couldn't be sure if he  _wanted_  to get caught or not. And either one was fine with Naruto.

"Troublewith a hint of danger?" The taller jounin speculated quietly, shuddering pleasantly at the sound of his boyfriend's suggestive tone, "That sounds like something that would suit our area of expertise."  _Wasn't that the truth..._

"You're such a bad influence,  _Naru-chan._ " Minato purred and stepped in front of him, eyes darkening as he none too gently locked his lips to Naruto's- slipping his tongue past Naruto's lips. He was rewarded with a hum of appreciation and a pair of strong arms moving around his body to align them.

This _..._  was pretty much how all their conversations ended up. It was also the reason as to why Shikaku rolled his eyes whenever he saw them. Chouza was slowly getting used to seeing them kiss(but he still covered his face with his hands... although he  _had_  begun to peek recently), and Inoichi had made it a point to bring a camera and sell pictures to a horde of rabid females these days. It was good money, and apparently a booming market.

Standing in the middle of a street and in plain sight mattered little to the two jounin. The sound of squeals and swooning was easy to ignore when they were drowning in the music of tongue and lips moving against each other.

"Well," A vaguely familiar voice sighed, "At least you're keeping it outside the Academy grounds."

Minato ignored his old principal's voice in favor of sighing sadly against Naruto's lips. He gave them a final soft kiss, a promise that he'd be back as soon as he could before he turned around and  **smiled**  as  **politely**  as he could at his old principal, "I'm happy to see you again, sensei." His eyes turned to thin slits, and he bared his teeth _just a little._ It honestly looked terrifying and nowhere near as kind as he'd intended.

The man was as old as the damn mountain, but even he could spot an obvious passive-aggressive greeting when he heard it. He wasn't buying that  _'_ polite _'_  expression **, at all.**  "Yes," The old man stated dryly, sarcastically, " _Overjoyed,_  I'm sure." 

_Damn brats_ _these days_ _._

 

* * *

 

"It's not a graduation class." Minato roamed the paper with his thoughtful gaze, "They have two years left." The wind from on top of the roof lifted his golden locks and caressed his cheeks.

Naruto hummed, eyeing the paper as well, "Oro mentioned that the new Academy system started two years ago and that they regularly rotate active shinobi into the Academy these days. Apparently, they don't have more than a couple of permanent teachers per year. The rest changes."

"It's very different to how I had it..." So much had changed since that fateful trip to the Nogusa fields.

Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed down in comfort, "You're very different yourself. It's better this way. Fewer gaps between students and real shinobi."

Minato leaned against his partner, closing his eyes for a moment, "I have you to thank for that."

"Is that a good thing?"

"It's a good thing," He opened his eyes, reached for Naruto's neck and pulled him into a soothing kiss. It was gentle and soft, and not as demanding as the previous one. A 'thank you.'

"We'll basically be homeroom teachers." Naruto wrapped an arm around his boyfriend, both of them turning their attention back to the papers in their hands.

"I'm a little nervous," Minato admitted, scratching his cheek with a finger, "I've never taught anyone anything before."

"If you want, I can be the lead today and then you'll get time to ease into it." It was a sound suggestion and judging by Minato's smile, he thought so too.

"Take care of me senpai." He teased, kissing him again but on the cheek this time. It was hard to stop when he'd been given the 'OK' to kiss him as much as he wanted. And Minato did that  **a lot.**

Naruto chuckled, "Senpai? Last I recalled, I'm still younger than you."

"It's just by half a year. Besides, you've been a shinobi for far longer than I have. You technically  _are_  my senpai."

Naruto rolled the title in his head for a moment. Nobody had ever called him that before. It was either 'kid', 'brat', 'older brother', 'Naruto' or 'Hokage'. He smirked, "I like senpai. Say it again?"

Minato smiled mischievously, "Se-n-pai~."

"Yeah," He nodded in agreement, "I like that."

"Does that mean that I've been noticed by my senpai?" Minato drew nearer, placing both his hands on Naruto's shoulders and pushed him backward, "I hear that's what all Kouhai's want."

Naruto watched him move into a straddle, and he instinctively placed a hand on his hip and grinned, "You've been noticed." He could get used to being a senpai if it meant having an attractive blond in his lap.

Minato leaned closer, zeroing in on those delicious lips, "Yay." He grinned and sealed his fate. 

 

* * *

 

They weren't even in the classroom yet, and the sound level was enough to make both of them cringe slightly. It was easy to forget that it was usually the seniors that had the most self-control. The rest of them acted very much like what they were; children.

A door was slid open at the end of the hallway, and a ragged looking jounin hurried outside, "All yours!" He shouted, running past them and quickly turned around a corner.

The two newly partnered jounin exchanged a look and smirked, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Minato smiled secretively, "Let's not keep them waiting, shall we?"

 

* * *

 

The classroom was a place of learning and growing. But nobody except the instructors seemed to think that way... considering the fact that most kids were shouting, talking, laughing or simply tried to make themselves heard over the noise of everyone else.

Basically, it was like every single class ever.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Minato disappeared in a yellow flash, reappearing in front of the students in the classroom. An arrival that was nothing short of impressive.

_And nobody noticed._

Minato was quite talented with the Hiraishin and could land soundlessly, a very handy talent in enemy territory. Although it didn't bring about the desired effect at the moment since nobody noticed them and the kid's chakra detecting skills were abysmal.

_What a damn bust!_

Minato glanced at his partner, a little uncertain if he should shout to quiet them down. But Naruto wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, he examined his nails before slowly moving over to the blackboard. Minato quickly channeled chakra to his ears- clogging them just as he watched Naruto's nails elongate slightly and dig into the dark surface while emitting a sound that made his skin crawl despite the muted volume.

The room fell silent instantly, and kids between the ages of six to seven stared at the two in shock and covered their ears.

"Now," Naruto turned around, ignoring the deep gash he'd left in the blackboard, "Can anyone tell me what purpose the Academy has?"

The question appeared quite ordinary,  _harmless_. But Minato could see the look in Naruto's eyes and saw a scolding coming for the kids at full blast. It never seized to fascinate him how well Naruto could handle kids, despite his reluctance to actually do so. He'd make(or was) an excellent teacher. 

_And a sexy one too... Right, focus Minato!_

A girl with short brown hair and a pair of purple facial stickers slowly raised her hand, uncertain what to make of the two older teenagers, "It's to train shinobi." She said quietly.

Naruto smiled, "So why are you all acting like this is a civilian school?" Not that there was anything wrong with a civilian school, but this was different. This was a school where you learned how to professionally kill someone. It wasn't a place for games.

The kids exchanged confused and uncomfortable looks.

Minato crossed his arms across his chest, remaining silent as he listened to Naruto's words of wisdom. He'd missed his 'old man-talks.' They were always very inspiring. But this was pretty fun too- seeing small kids learning valuable life-lessons.

"From now on, playing takes place in the yard during your breaks and lunch, are we clear?" Naruto continued to smile, and the kids paled and quickly nodded. "Good!" He clapped his hands and caused everyone to jump. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"And I'm Namikaze Minato." His voice was a tad bit softer.

"And we're going to be your temporary Academy instructors for this month. Any questions?"

At first, there was none, but then a hand slowly rose into the air, and everyone stared at the black-haired boy as if he was dropped as a baby.

It wasn't hard for Naruto to identify him, and Kurama's growl also helped.

"What's your name kid?" He asked, pushing his own feelings aside. They had no place in this era.

"U-Uchiha Obito, Uzumaki-sensei." The boy stuttered, swallowing audibly before he curled his hands in his lap, nervous and a fair bit terrified of the blond.  _He seemed really strict. But he couldn't help himself!_

"What's your question, Obito-kun?" Naruto leaned back against the front of the teacher's desk, crossing his arms as Minato took the spot beside him. 

"Is," he looked around himself, like he was trying not to get caught, "Is it true that you painted the Hokage monument and got away with it, even if everyone knew it was you, but they couldn't prove it?"

The children looked like a strange mix between scandalized and intrigued, hands cover their mouths and poorly hiding their snickering.

"Good question." Naruto nodded, entirely serious as Obito's face lit up like a Christmas tree- if not a little proud for asking a relevant question for once.

Minato's eyes sparkled with mirth. Indeed, Naruto had a way with kids.

"A good shinobi can do just about anything without getting caught. Even paint the Hokage monument." He then glanced to his boyfriend, "Or put itching powder in the Anbu's underwear."

The class burst out laughing, followed by a smile from the two jounin.

"Alright, alright. Settle down. We're going to hand out a piece of paper to each and every one of you. We want you to write your name on it, and then put it in front of you. Can you do that?"

They chorused a loud 'yes, sensei!' while Minato picked up a bundle of papers and began to hand them all out.

Once done, Naruto allowed his gaze to move over the names. There was a lot of familiar ones: Sarutobi Asuma, Maito Gai, Shiranui Genma, Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. The only one missing would be Kakashi, but he'd already graduated from this class.

Still, it felt good to see them again. Asuma felt strange because it was so long ago that he'd died in Naruto's first life that it was hard to remember everything about him. They hadn't known each other for many years compared to the others.

Rin he'd never met, but he could vaguely recall seeing a picture of her as a chunin in Kakashi's old apartment.

Obito was also strange, but he was pretty cute as a chibi. After the war, one of his biggest regrets was that he couldn't save him for Kakashi. Obito deserved happiness, but so did his old sensei. However, the silver-haired man couldn't find his peace after everything that happened to his friend. Kakashi almost drowned in his guilt, and there was little that Naruto could do.

Seeing Gai again made Naruto happy. Despite the loss of his leg and being bound to a wheelchair, he never lost his youthful spark. It wasn't as intense as before considering he'd lost the one thing he'd truly loved: his career. But he was the one that kept Kakashi, Lee, and Tenten afloat after Neji's and Obito's(real) death. He kept their spirits up.

But when he turned to Genma, his throat constricted painfully, and he shoved his trembling hands into his pockets, preventing anyone from noticing his momentary state of weakness.

Shiranui Genma, Namiashi Raidou, and Tatami Iwashi were the Goei Shotai, the Guard Platoon. It was the trio that the Yondaime Hokage created and taught the Hiraishin to.

After the death of the Yondaime, Naruto had discovered that it had caused a deep-rooted sense of personal failure for the three shinobi. Even if nobody blamed them for his death, they didn't have to because they blamed themselves enough as it was.

To help heal their wounds and show them that Naruto neither blamed nor doubted their abilities- he made them into his own Goei Shotai once he made Hokage.

The three of them grew to become close and precious friends to him, and he loved them all dearly. When he'd been sick of papers and documents, sick of politics and numbing duties, it was they whom he had sat on the floor and played strip poker with. The ones he celebrated his minor political victories and spent his lonely Christmas days with.

Arguably, they had known him the best after he'd become Hokage. A trio he knew he could count on and who trusted him in return. People who weren't scared of talking about his dad in his presence, and who always took the day as it came.

...But it was his fault that they died. Raidou had finally settled down and married, although refusing to retire. Iwashi was already married, and Genma rocked the single life like a champion.

On the way back from the summit in Suna, Naruto wanted to take a little detour and decided to send his guards ahead. There was no point in dragging a tired heap of men with him when he was going to meditate and pick wildflowers for his new ink. Besides, it was peace-time, and nobody could get the slip on the most powerful man on the continent.

However, that would be the last time he'd ever see his three friends alive. The memory of them complaining about his damn hobbies and incredible stamina would forever be burned into his retina.

If he'd just brought them with him... then they would have lived. They would have been here right now, together with him as they tried to right all the wrongs in the world. They would have been playing strip poker every night. They would have told each other epic stories over beer and Ichiraku Ramen...

And Naruto wouldn't have to fight the urge to cry in a classroom with thirty children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you enter a new relationship and you end up in the honeymoon-phase... but it doesn't last for very long and you get all sadface and wish your boyfriend/girlfriend was someone from fiction instead. Rip.
> 
> Also, Genma, babe, You and me. *Wink wink, nudge nudge*


	57. Because I love you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is tomorrows update(Friday), but I've been home with a cold, so I ended up finishing it a bit early. *Shrug*
> 
> I wrote this because I felt like it. Fight me. Besides, if you feel like it's too much Mina/Naru; wat are u doin here!? ಠ_ರೃ

Naruto was sitting on the roof of his house, deep in thought after the day that had passed. His emotions were a mess, and he wasn't sure  _what_  he was supposed to feel. Everything just  _ached_.

Seeing Obito was strange. He'd only ever known him to be a mislead and manipulated pawn. The man had taken so much from him; many friends and loved ones.

However, seeing him in that classroom just a few hours prior... the boy had an uncanny resemblance to himself when he was younger, and that made him uncomfortable. He wasn't popular or even that good in school, dead last as it was. He was loud, boasted more than he could back up, and was late for  _everything_. Like,  **everything**. If Obito had to go the toilet, then he wouldn't be surprised if he was late for that too.

But more importantly; he  _liked_  Obito... and he didn't know what to make of that.

Naruto sighed, eyes moving to the setting sun on the horizon.

Then there was Genma. It was a struggle not to break down in tears at the sight of him. But he'd managed to reel his emotions in- he always did. If his Genma saw him now, he'd be teased to death.

He could already hear it; the brunets distinctively baritone laugh when he did something exceedingly stupid.

"You always did have a nice laugh." He smiled wistfully to the sky, "And you'd hit me across the head if you saw me now. I'll do better." He promised.

"Naru?"

Naruto looked over his shoulder. Minato was standing a few feet away from him with worry and concern in his eyes.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking."

Minato took a set beside him, not sure what he should say.

That afternoon in the Academy had merely been used as an introduction and then later a test to see where everyone stood so that they could make appropriate schedules. Their real lessons would start tomorrow. However, Naruto had been worryingly silent since they'd left the school.

"Is something wrong?" He finally asked.

Naruto let's out a small sigh, and forced a smile, "Genma looks like someone I used to know. I wasn't prepared for it."

Minato chest tightened, "One of them?" Naruto rarely talked about his old group of friends. But he knew that Naruto held them close to his heart and that it caused him a lot of pain. And Minato didn't particularly like them for that reason.

"Not one of them, but someone else that was around the same circle. We were friends."

"He died, didn't he?" Minato said quietly, almost resigned.

"People around me tends to end up that way." Naruto's voice wavered, and he looked down at his hands, "It makes it terrifying to get close to people. So many people have died that it's hard to shake the feeling that you're the one causing it."

"I won't end up that way," Minato assured him softly. There was no way he'd leave Naruto. The shinigami himself wouldn't be able to stand in his way!

A hand moved to his, and their fingers intertwined.

"I'm holding you to that." He whispered, yet the ache remained and despite his boyfriend's presence... he felt horribly lonely.

 

* * *

 

Naruto was only able to sleep a handful of hours. So, in the end, he resigned himself to watching his partner sleep.

Minato was so beautiful. His hair always looked like a golden halo around his head, and his face was the closest thing to angelic that Naruto could recall ever seeing.

Minato was so close...  yet so far away. The seed of loneliness that had taken root after seeing Genma again was slowly growing bigger. It didn't matter how irrational it was. He wasn't  _really_  lonely anymore because he had Minato, Shikaku, the Sannin and all the other people he'd met and befriended. But the empty void inside of him just wouldn't go away no matter how much he tried to convince himself that he was okay.

His fingers slowly trailed over Minato's bare chest, over his firm muscles and smooth and slightly scared skin.

He didn't have scars himself, but he liked them. Aside from the small burn on Minato's arm(which Naruto tried not to think about), all of them were special and told a story about his adventures.  _Their_  adventures.

They came in all kinds of sizes, mostly small and short, but still different. Naruto liked to touch them since he couldn't do it to his own(since he didn't have any).

His hands moved away from the tanned and smooth chest. They moved lower, towards the grooves on his abdomen and-

Minato opened his eyes. He felt Naruto's fingers run over his upper body, a gentle and feathery touch that most likely wasn't aimed to wake him.

Naruto didn't notice he'd woken him up until the skin he'd touched turned to goosebumps, and his eyes met another almost identical pair.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and withdrew his hand, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Minato blinked slowly, the absence of Naruto's hand leaving him cold and empty. Yet it was the way his partner looked away that made him realize that something wasn't quite right.

For a short while, he thought about his behavior throughout the day and the brief encounter in the Academy.

The newly awoken jounin used his elbow to push himself up and then made his way towards his boyfriend.

"Talk to me," Minato said gently, but not without a hint of concern. He curled around his partner, his thigh moving between Naruto's, and his arm draping across his scarless chest. "I can tell something's wrong."

It was impossible to stop, and a tear rolled down Naruto's temple, and he closed his eyes- the pain too great now that he allowed himself to feel.

Minato felt the tear against his forehead, and quickly pushed himself up so that he could see him properly. It broke his heart seeing how much he'd missed, how much pain Naruto was actually in and had kept hidden.

His finger caught another salty tear before he wormed his arm around Naruto's neck, pulling him close, rolled to the side, and held him in a firm and protective embrace.

Naruto held onto him tightly, clinging to the warm body of the one he loved more than anyone else in the world. The sound of Minato's pounding heart felt like a drum against his ears. But the music was oddly soothing. Each beat of his heart was a whispering comfort, proof that he wasn't as alone as he felt.

Minato held him to his bare chest, unconcerned by the tears that now covered his skin. "I'm here." He whispered, feeling like he had to say  _something_. "It's going to be okay."

Had he not believed him; Naruto would have laughed. But as it was; Naruto  _did_  believe him.

"Keep talking?"

Minato smiled softly, weaving his fingers into his long blond hair, "The first time I saw you, you were sitting in the middle of a lake and eating an apple. Now that I think about it, why were you?"

The tears continued to roll down his cheeks, but he answered, remembering that day as well, "Fangirls."

"Ah," Minato's smile grew bigger, "They kept knocking us over in school. All they ever did was talk and gush about the amazingly cool Uzumaki Naruto." He chuckled, "I didn't think I cared about that kind of thing. But as you know; I'm too curious for my own good sometimes."

Naruto's arms tightened around him, clinging to the sound of his comforting voice.

"So I followed them to the park and found you sitting in the middle of the lake- eating an apple. I'd never seen someone do that before so I was completely  _amazed_."

Naruto could practically hear how he rolled his eyes, so he smiled a little despite the tears.

"The second time I saw you, you blew up Matsuka-san's potato field." He chuckled sheepishly, "Man, that was the coolest fight I'd ever seen back then.  _Or the only one I'd ever seen._ Ileft that survival trip as your admirer."

"Then what?" Naruto asked quietly and snuffled, he didn't want him to stop talking. It made him feel a lot better when he did.

...And he kind of wanted to know what Minato thought about him up until now. It made his chest flutter with happiness.

He hummed for a moment, thinking, "The third time was right before the war. In the camp on top of the mountain. I remember when you took my flower," Minato smiled brightly. It was still one of his most precious memories with Naruto. "I've never seen someone look so invincible and strong. It was incredible."

"I still have it," He snuffled again,"I saved it."

"The flower?"

"Un."

A deep red blush spread across Minato's cheeks. "All this time?"

"Un." Naruto opened his eyes a fraction when he felt Minato lean down and kiss the top of his head.

"When you came back," Minato continued softly, "I visited you in the hospital. You were unconscious... but I introduced myself and asked if you wanted to be my friend."

Eh...?

_'Kurama!'_

The giant fox grinned wickedly, full of mischief- but he said nothing.

_'Flea-bag.'_ He mentally grumbled and shot the creature a dirty glare.

"When I brought you food in the camp, I was so nervous that I couldn't even speak. I sulked for ages because I chicken out. Shikaku was having a field day." He chuckled again, "Honestly, I didn't think you knew I even existed. How could someone so great notice little me?"

"I knew," Naruto said softly, "Ero-sennin talked about you all the time. But I was scared of meeting you."

Minato's eyes widened, then quickly softened as he leaned down again, placing another kiss on top of his head and whispered gently, "Really?"

"Having a team scared me. I already lost everything once. And being on a team with you meant I could lose everything again."

It was so  _Naruto_ to worry about things like that. But somehow that made Minato strangely happy. "Is that why you worry so much?"

Naruto didn't answer, but he didn't have to. His silence was enough of an answer in itself.

Even so, his intentions were to make Naruto feel better, not worse, "I kissed you once." He blushed but added, "When you were asleep."

Naruto's eyes shot open, and he slowly moved enough to meet his boyfriends gaze, "You did?" He asked, his previous sadness slowly falling to the back of his mind. 

_'Kurama!!'_

**_'I guess he beat you to it.'_** He smirked.

Minato scratched his cheekbone in embarrassment, his eyes tactfully avoiding his partners. "Yeah."

"On the lips?"

He shook his head, his blush deepening, "Your chest."

There was a moment of silence. Naruto stared and noted the color of Minato's cheeks turning a deeper shade of red the longer he watched.

"You cheated." The jounin finally said, much to Minato's confusion.

"Eh?"

"Now you've done everything first." Naruto frowned, "You kissed me first, asked me out, asked me to be your partner." He squinted his eyes suspiciously, "What else have you done?"

"Y-you hugged me first!" Minato protested, "And you held my hand first."

"You've been  _way_  bolder than me." How was he supposed to keep the score even if he was already so far behind? Now he didn't even have the first kiss on his list of achievements.  _Dammit!_

"Then you do something!" Minato blurted, only to suck in a breath when he realized what he might have suggested. Damn-

"Like what?" Naruto tilted his head to the side, eyes moving down the half-naked body of his boyfriend. "I don't think you're ready for that yet."

Minato's face  **burned**.  _Oh, god! What the hell! So embarrassing!!! Why'd he have to say that!?_

Naruto quietly hummed, an idea popping up in his head as his gaze followed the curves of the body he leaned against. Technically, it wasn't  _sex_... Right?

_'Is it considered sex?'_ He wondered.

**_'Why is it important? Just do whatever you want.'_** Kurama rolled his eyes, deciding that he'd rather not stick around to watch this.

"Mina?" Naruto asked.

Minato swallowed nervously, "Y-Yeah?"

"Can I give you a blowjob?" His eyes entirely fixed on his.  **Completely serious.**

Silence.

Kurama guffawed, unable to stop himself at Naruto's horrible lack of tact and the bloody hilarious reaction of the chibi-Yondaime kit. The poor thing looked on the brink of passing out.

"Can I?" Naruto repeated, moved a little closer to his face.

Minato didn't as much as  _breathe_.  _Couldn't_ , actually. Because he could have  **sworn**  Naruto just asked him if he could- "Wha..?" He said intelligently.

Naruto's lips formed a small smile, but then it turned into a smirk. "It would make me very happy."  _Fine_ , it was a bit beneath the belt(no pun intended), but he  _did_  want to.

"B-but- it-it's dirty! I-" he stuttered and flailed his hands, too shocked and embarrassed to form coherent sentences.

" _Nothing_  about you is dirty." Naruto leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his pink lips. "I love everything about you." He whispered. Minato's hair was tickling his sore and puffy cheeks, "I want to see all your expression. Those only meant for me." His lips found their way to the blond's neck- Minato's breath quickening and almost panting into Naruto ear, "I want to make you mine." He purred.

Minato was a nervous wreck. A  _seriously_   **aroused**  nervous wreck. His fingers trembled as Naruto placed kisses on his neck, chest, and stomach. He clutched the sheets of the bed tightly, closing his eyes and willing himself to calm down- to breathe.

He didn't.

"Mina?" Naruto looked up, his chest tightening at the sight of his panicked boyfriend. He moved back up, slipping a hand into his hair.

They looked at each other.

" _Never_  feel like you have to do something you don't want to. I'd  _never_  do  _anything_  to make you uncomfortable." Naruto's eyes bored into his, a fierceness in them that made Minato's heart beat a little faster, "I want to do it because I love you." He continued, eyes softening, "To make  _you_  feel good. For you to  _feel_  how much I love you."

It almost brought tears to his eyes, really, it did. He was a sappy bastard after all. What had he ever done to deserve someone so amazing? "Do I need to do anything?" Minato whispered hesitantly, still embarrassed but calm enough not to stutter.  _Thankfully_.

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction, but then they softened, and he smiled gently, "lay down for me?"

Slowly, carefully, the blond complied and laid down on the bed. He could hear his own heart beating against his ribcage, and he was sure Naruto heard it too.

"Close your eyes," He kissed the soft lips in front of him, "Relax and just... enjoy it."

To be fair; Minato  _tried_. And if Naruto saw him dig his fingers into the nearby duvet- he said nothing about it.

Meanwhile, Naruto was a fair bit nervous himself. It wasn't his first time doing this, but it'd been a rather long time since last.

However, this wasn't for him. He wanted to show Minato how much he truly loved him, appreciated him and how much his words of comfort meant to him when he felt weak and fragile- like he just had. Minato was his medicine and the cure to his darkness.

Naruto's lips moved across his tight stomach as he used his tongue to follow the grooves between his muscles. The muscles twitched, tense and nervous.

One of his hands took a gentle hold of Minato's thigh- raising it a little so that he could move his hand underneath his bottom.

Minato felt something coil in his stomach the lower down Naruto moved. It wasn't uncomfortable or painful- not even a little. But he was a bit scared- irrational but scared none the less.

He felt Naruto's lips touch the hem of his pants, his chin brushing against the unavoidable arousal that waited eagerly to get touched again. It was growing harder by the second, and at the same rate, he was losing his confidence.

Naruto tugged at his pants, pulling them down more and more while Minato placed a hand over his face in an effort to hide.

He almost whimpered when the air hit his naked skin, and Naruto threw his pants across the room. The urge to hide and cover himself up was nearly overwhelming, but he didn't move- couldn't.

_Naturally_ , if that wasn't embarrassing enough, his partner nudged his knees- gently pushing them to the sides so he could settle down between them.   
  
Minato was prepared to  **die**.

Naruto pushed them apart and up so that he could have something to hold onto and touch. He was pretty damn convinced though that he'd never seen a more attractive man in his life. Even if Minato hid behind his hands- it didn't matter since he could see the rest of him just fine.

His body was so toned and tight, trained to perfection under the many years he'd been a shinobi.

He lowered his body, lips slowly trailing alongside the inner thigh of his leg. The muscles tensed- so Naruto softly bit him and then kissed the bite mark before continuing further down.

The skin was soft against his touch, sinful in taste and scent. Maybe it was the enhanced nose he'd always had but Minato's scent was making him intoxicated and aroused. If he hadn't known that it was Minato's first time- he wouldn't have taken so long. But as it was- it  _was_  Minato's first time doing something so intimate.

Minato curled his toes and bit his lip, Naruto's hot breath drawing ever closer to his arousal. The warmth finally hit it, and Minato's breath hitched.

It was unbearable; the way he hovered right above him and teased his sensitive flesh.

Just as it bordered on becoming too much, something  _wet_  and slippery touched his hard muscle, slowly sliding from the base... all the way to the top.

Minato's entire body shuddered, and a gasping moan slipped past his lips while his toes curled once more.

The nerves in his body were on high alert, reacting to everything all at once.

Something hot suddenly wrapped around him, and the teenager whimpered at the sensation of being inside of someone.

After that, everything just turned into an incoherent mess of panting, moans and the sound of sucking and slurping.

Minato didn't know for how long it lasted, he'd stopped trying to think just a few minutes in favor of 'enjoying it' as Naruto so accurately had described it.

Because  **holy hell,** _did he enjoy it!_

Honestly, he didn't even know it could feel that good. Their adventure in the bathtub two weeks ago had felt like the best thing in the world and something he'd craved since then. Grinding against each other while making out in a dark corner somewhere wasn't all that uncommon either, but this...  _This_  was on a whole new level.

Minato's hand dug into Naruto's hair desperately, "N-Naru! I can't h-hold back anymore!"

But to his dismay, Naruto merely sped up, his tongue moving around his shaft like an exploring hand.

A familiar part of him, deep inside, coiled. Minato's feet dug into the mattress and his muscles tensed. "I-" A moan, shameless and uncontrollable tore through his throat as he released.

Naruto felt it, tasted it just as he'd intended. It was salty, sticky, warm and just...  _perfect_. It didn't matter what it tasted like because it was  _Minato's_. There was nothing else he could receive that was more personal and sacred. And he wasn't going to ever take it for granted.

A string of white sticky cum slowly rolled down Naruto's chin as Minato slowly opened his eyes to look down at the blond jounin who'd, quite literally, rocked his damn world. The sight of him forced his lips to part- stunned but also... Had Naruto always looked that hot?

When Naruto visibly swallowed, Minato did it too- but because he didn't know what else to do.

"You... just drank my sperm," Minato said, a strange mix between disbelief and fascination in his voice.

Naruto raised his hand, sliding a finger over the string of white seed on his chin. He eyed it for a moment, then turned his attention back to Minato who couldn't look away even if his life depended on it.

"Seems like I did." He said, bringing his finger to his own lips and licked up the rest of it too.

Minato was pretty sure he'd never get that image out of his head, so he happily resigned himself to the idea that he'd always see that when Naruto slurped ramen from then onwards.

Well. Rest in peace innocence.

But like he'd already stated once that night: he was too curious for his own good. Which meant, "What does it taste like?"

Naruto smirked, slowly prowling on top of him, like a tiger moving in on its dinner.

Minato swallowed, kind of-  _not really_ , regretting his question. But he got his answer when Naruto leaned down, claiming his lips in a heated and passionate kiss.

The taste was weird, Minato decided. It tasted kind of strange, like  _him_  but also not. It was difficult to explain, but it felt intimate and private.

When the two of them parted, a string of something suspiciously sticky- and not saliva, stuck between their lips.

"Curiosity satisfied?" Naruto asked huskily while removing the sticky thing from the two of them.

"Satisfied." A dazed smile stretched across his red-tinted face.

"Verdict?"

"...Can we do it again?"

Naruto stared, then snorted.

 

* * *

 

The following morning Minato woke up with an impossibly blinding smile on his face. The poor thing almost forgot to put on his pants before going downstairs as well. His head was certainly not below the clouds.

He seemingly floated through the hallways until he descended the staircase like a ball of fluff and sunshine. His feet moved him to the kitchen, up to his boyfriend who cooked their breakfast and wrapped his arms around him like the beautiful human being he was.

Naruto chuckled, glanced over his shoulder to see his blond partner smiling and resting his head against his shoulder, "Good mood today?"

"How can I  _not_  be in a good mood when I have you to look forward to when I wake up?" Minato countered, his twinkling with good humor and mirth.

Naruto rolled his eyes and turned back to their food lest it burns, "If I knew I'd be creating a little monster, I might not have indulged you yesterday."

But Minato only laughed, "Next time," he brought his lips close to his ear, "It's my turn."

Naruto froze, the doorbell rang, blood raced to his groin, Minato called 'I'll take it!', and he shuddered pleasantly. "Yeeeeessss." 

Minato returned shortly afterward, a familiar silver-haired Genin right behind him.

"Kakashi-kun?" Naruto blinked, "What's up?"

"Apparently," the boy straightened his back to appear more professional in their presence. Naruto and Minato were serious and deadly shinobi after all, "I'll be assisting you on your mission until it's completed."

"Oh," Minato smiled, although quite surprised, "That's nice."

Kakashi nodded.

"Looking forward to it?" Naruto took out another plate for the boy.

"I haven't been told what the mission is yet," Kakashi informed, and brought the two jounin to a standstill. "I was told to expect a debrief from you."

Naruto smirked, "Well~ I'm sure you'll have a  _blast_."

Minato chuckled nervously, and Kakashi was pretty sure there was more to this than he knew because he suddenly wanted to stab someone  _in the face._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Handing out tissues*
> 
> Next chapter is entirely focused on the Academy and the brats + Mina and Naru-sensei, of course~
> 
> AND! Thank you guys for... what is it, over 720 subs to this story? Yezzz. This thing is pulling in a lot of hits!


	58. No matter what

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nya-ho! =ටᆼට=

Naruto ignored the tenth piece of chalk that soared through the air and hit Obito in the face. Kakashi was perfectly capable of keeping everyone awake and making sure they kept attention(although Obito was the only one who fell asleep). Meanwhile, Naruto himself leaned against the wall of the classroom, his focus entirely on his partner that seemed to get more and more attractive the longer he watched him.

Was that even possible? Because surely it should be the opposite? The longer you looked, the more flaws you'd find. But then again, Minato already defied all laws of nature with his perfection, so maybe it wasn't so strange. Yeah, that was definitely it. 

A quiet but longing sigh escaped him. What wouldn't he do to run his fingers through Minato's hair and press him up against a wall and just-

"Yes, Rin-chan?" Minato paused his lecture, smiling encouragingly towards the brown-haired girl with the purple facial sticker.

"You said that the Shodai Hokage died when he was 48, but how did he die? Wasn't he supposed to be the strongest shinobi to have ever lived?"  
  
It was a good question, Minato acknowledged. But it was also a question he didn't know the answer to. Surprisingly enough. That bit of information wasn't written down anywhere- at least nowhere he'd come across it... and he practically lived in the library in his free time.   
  
"The Shodai fell ill before the First Shinobi World War," Naruto said, drawing everyone's attention, "It never became common knowledge how he met his end. Konoha spun the tale that he died in an epic battle, but that's just a lie to deter our enemies. What do you think would happen if our enemies learned about what could bring down the greatest shinobi the elemental nations had ever seen?" His eyes moved over the children, observant and serious, "They would try to weaponize whatever it was that ended up being deadly to such a powerful man."  
  
"What was it?" Obito's eyes were wide in wonder and intrigue. Battle and shinobi stuff was AWESOME!  
  
"Maa, I suppose it would be fine to tell you." Naruto chuckled, "Senju Hashirama died from Tuberculosis. Back then there was no cure for the disease, so he perished."   
  
"There's a cure now?" Rin wondered.  
  
"It's curable now." He nodded in confirmation, "Another interesting fact: It was the supposedly incurable disease that struck the Shodai Hokage that made Senju Tsunade want to train to be a medical-nin. I'm sure you're all aware that she is his granddaughter?" The kids nodded quickly, "Her parents also died from illnesses. Because of the poor medical advancement back then, our forces often died from diseases rather than combat. An infection could be deadly. It still is, but nowhere near the same extent. She took it upon herself to try and change that. And she did."  
  
That made a whole lot of sense, Minato realized. It wasn't plausible that someone more powerful than the Shodai Hokage came by to kill the man. Not even a hundred strong jounin would be able to. Hashirama had the wood release which was arguably the strongest Kekkei Genkai in the world. Not to mention that little tidbit of information about Tsunade.  
  
"Then what about the Nidaime Hokage?" A civilian girl asked, "How did he die?"  
  
Naruto looked to Minato, but he only received a slight wave of his hand and an encouraging smile for him to continue- so he did.   
  
"Alright, this is a bit of a story, so try to keep up alright?" Naruto moved to the front of the room, taking a seat on the desk while Minato joined him. "It's not on any test or whatever, so don't worry about notes."  
  
Most of the children put down their pens, while others studiously kept it in their hands.  
  
"It all began before the First Shinobi World War. The Nidaime Raikage and our Nidaime Hokage set up a meeting to make a treaty. The treaty was later signed on the border between Kumo and Konoha. However," He frowned, "during the ceremony, they were ambushed by the Kinkaku Force from Kumo. They were attempting a coup d'état and forced the two parties to scatter. Tobirama-sama and his escorts barely escaped with their lives. The Nidaime Raikage, in turn, condemned the actions of the Kinkaku Force and they were labeled disgraces and criminals."   
   
Even Kakashi was keeping rapt attention at this point. He hadn't heard this story before. Naruto sure was knowledgeable. As expected of such a skilled shinobi.  
  
The was a moment of pause.  
  
"Despite the ambush, the treaty remained for the time being. Fast forward a couple of years and the First Shinobi World War began. Even if there was a treaty between Kumo and Konoha, they found themselves on opposite sides, and thus the effort to hold the peace between them fell through. We were at war with one another despite the efforts we'd made."   
  
A small sigh escaped him, "With both sides taking losses and our economy taking a massive hit, we wanted to settle the war as quickly as possible. However, the Kinkaku Force wasn't finished. They had their eyes set on the Nidaime Hokage and planned to put him in a grave for escaping them the first time around. During a routine mission, Tobirama-sama and his team found themselves surrounded by them just behind our border. There was no way they'd all make it out alive, so Tobirama-sama decided to act as a decoy for his team to escape. But just before he was about to follow through with his plan, he turned to one of his teammates, a student of his, and passed the title of Hokage to him. Anyone know who that was?"  
  
Obito grinned, "The old man Sandaime!"  
  
Naruto grinned right back, "That's right. That was the day we received our Sandaime Hokage, and we lost our Nidaime Hokage."  
  
A hand rose into the air, a very familiar, yet much smaller hand.   
  
Minato smiled to Genma and nodded, and the boy spoke, "What happened to the Kinkaku Force after that?"  
  
"Ah," Naruto smiled knowingly, "If you want me to, I'll tell you more about them, but it's a little complicated."  
  
There was a loud series of 'Yes!' and 'Tell us!' all around the classroom.   
  
Minato's eyes crinkled at the edges, and he chuckled. Even if Naruto claimed he couldn't handle kids very well, he sure was popular with them. Not that he minded. Naruto had a way of drawing you in when you listened to him. And, much to his chagrin, he didn't know all of these things either... Getting to learn and listen to Naruto's voice at the same time though, well, that was hardly straining to the ears.   
  
"Alright." Naruto clapped his hands and walked over to the blackboard. "To understand who the Kinkaku Force were, you have to understand their equivalents." He drew five large circles on the board, naming them; Iwa, Kumo, Konoha, Kiri, and Suna.  
  
"These are the Great Nations. Everyone following so far?" They did, answering with a chorused 'Yes!', "Each nation has an elite force that's a step above everyone else. Above jounin and right underneath their Kage. Anyone know what the name of the elite force in Konoha is called?"  
  
Nobody answered for a long moment. Just as Naruto opened his mouth to reveal the answer, a hand rose into the air, "Yes, Asuma-kun."  
  
A little uncertain, the boy said, " _The Twelve Guarding Ninja?_ "  
  
"Yup. That's right. Our elite force is pretty unique too." He continued as he wrote the name in the Konoha circle, "You guys should probably write this down, it's vital information. Anyway," He turned around and pointed at the name, "Our elite force is not actually in Konoha.  _The Twelve Guarding Ninja_  is in the capital where they guard the Fire Daimyo. We are the only one of the Great Nations that don't keep our elite force in the hidden village. To us, the Fire Daimyo is more important to protect as it means stability for our country. Everyone following so far?"  
  
They did.  
  
"Next up is Iwa, anyone wants to guess who their elite force is?"  
  
There was no reply, and a couple of them shook their heads. Nobody knew.  
  
Minato hummed with a mischevious glint in his eyes, "I do believe that would be the  _Explosion Corps._ "  
  
Naruto pointed at him and turned to the kids, "You heard the man. The elite force of Iwa is called the  _Explosion Corps_. They live in Iwagakure and specialize in blowing stuff into the air." He smirked. Man, Deidara had been such a fucking pain in the ass back in his childhood, "It's not a definite fact, but it's believed that the  _Explosion Corp_  is made up of members with the Explosion Release. A Kekkei Genkai from Iwa."  
  
There was a whole bunch of scribbling.  
  
"We've got the  _Twelve Guarding Ninja, the Explosion Corps._ " Naruto repeated and pointed at the board, "Next up is Suna. Anyone know?"  
  
A hand rose into the air. "Yes, Yuro-kun."  
  
"My father said that Suna had a group of really powerful puppet users. I don't know what they're called though."  
  
Naruto nodded, "That's right. Suna's elite force is made up of puppet users. It's called the  _Puppet Brigade._  They mostly specialize in poisons and long-range combat." He'd have to remember to find and kill Sasori at one point. The man was a lunatic.   
  
"Sensei?" Genma called, "What do our force specialize in?"  
  
Naruto looked over his shoulder once he'd finished writing on the board, "Our elite force doesn't have a specialization aside from badassery."  
  
The class burst out laughing, even Minato.   
  
"Alright, only two left! Kiri and Kumo. We already know who Kumo's elite force is, right?"  
  
" _Kinkaku Force!_ " they chorused.  
  
Naruto wrote down the fourth name on the board, inside of the Kumo circle.  
  
"That leaves Kiri. These ones are pretty famous, I'm sure you've all heard about them at some point."  
  
"Ah!  _Seven Swordsmen!_ " An Inuzuka boy exclaimed, "The ones with the huge swords and shark teeth!" Several of the kids paled and glanced between their classmate and their teachers.   
  
_....Shark teeth...?_  
  
"That's right. The elite force from Kiri is  _The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist_. Or  _Seven Swordsmen_  since it's less of a mouthful. These guys are the elite force that's the less secretive despite Kiri's nature of keeping everything private. They're all in the Bingo Book- the book where we list all the dangerous shinobi in the elemental nation. They have Seven members- one person each for the seven sword-heirlooms that Kiri owns." Naruto turned around, having finished writing on the board, "These guys usually move in a unit. If you find one, the rest of them are most likely in the area."  
  
"That's so cool. I wanna see 'em." Obito practically drooled at the mere thought of seven kickass shinobi with massive swords and SHARK TEETH! YES!  
  
Naruto raised a brow, "Lemme tell you kid, if you run into these guys- you're  **dead**. There's only a handful of shinobi inside of this village that's capable of standing up to them and escaping an encounter alive. Much less all of them. You'd need a Kage to fight all seven of them at the same time. Even then it's a matter of luck to survive an encounter like that." He chuckled, smirking at the lot of them, "If you're unlucky enough to meet them; run. Don't even try to fight them. Just run. They're all A-rank and above."  
  
The classroom was silent, and Minato allowed his mind to wander for a moment.   
  
Naruto sure knew a lot about the elite forces of the various nations. Some of them were pretty self-explanatory, as the Puppet Brigade. Puppets usually specialized in poisons. Explosion Corp was also self-explanatory;  _Boom_.  But the rest of them weren't common knowledge. Not even Konoha's elite force was all that widely known. Then again, Naruto used to travel with Jiraiya, so perhaps it wasn't that strange that he knew a whole lot more than him about these things. Because he doubted that Naruto merely knew the names of the forces and their specialization. Something told him that he'd met some of them at some point.  
  
"But you guys wanted to know about the Kinkaku Force. The elite force from Kumo." Naruto reminded, "Now you know where they stand inside of their country. We all have an equivalent. When the Nidaime Raikage condemned their actions and labeled them a bunch of criminals, it was a massive blow to Kumo and their strength. They lost a bunch of high-ranking shinobi, and that's a big deal to a village."  
  
He walked back to the blackboard and drew two more circles. "These, are the two people inside of the Kinkaku Force that you should know about."  
  
Minato tilted his head slightly to the side. He didn't know them...  
  
"Kinkaku and Ginkaku." Naruto turned back around, "The Gold and Silver brothers. These guys are infamous Kumo shinobi. Nobody knows if they're still alive or not. They disappeared after the death of the Nidaime Hokage. From the sources that we have, these guys were known for their underhanded nature. Deceitful, betrayal- that's just a few words people associated with them. Kinkaku and Ginkaku didn't discriminate on the battlefield. They attacked their own allies just as they did with their enemies. The only one they seemed to care about were each other."  
  
He retook a seat on the desk, "Kinkaku was in charge of the Kinkaku Force whom in turn had over twenty members. They followed him wherever he went, so when he decided to turn away from the reign of the Nidaime Raikage- all of them followed him. Like I said before; they disappeared after the death of Tobirama-sama, and nobody has found the brothers until this day. Some of the Kinkaku Force has been found every once in a while. They're some of the most notorious criminals that Kumo has, and they've been actively hunted down. If they've managed to get them all- no one aside from Kumo's Raikage can say. That stuff is way above us. Did you guys all catch that?"  
  
The children grinned, "Yes, Sensei!"  
  
"Awesome. Any other questions?"  
  
Obito's hand shot up in the air, and he grinned from ear to ear like a spotlight, "Sensei! Sensei!"  
  
"Shoot, Obito-kun."  
  
"Pleeeeeease can you tell us more about the Seven Swordsmen!" Several of his classmates rolled their eyes, but most of them seemed just as curious.  
  
"Maa," Naruto chuckled, "If you want me to."  
  
Minato smiled, a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Alright. I don't know the names of the actual shinobi who wield the swords these days. That keeps changing faster than you lot changes underwear." The class laughed, "After the battle of Uzushio, most of Kiri's army was destroyed, so it's hard to say. They haven't recovered from that war as of yet." He then moved back to the blackboard, again, "If my memory serves me still, the swords look a little like this. I'm sure you'll find a book in the library about this if you're interested in finding out more about them."  
  
He moved the white piece of chalk over the black and smooth surface of the board. Thanks to his steady hand after decades upon decades of training through clones, the pictures came out somewhat close to the real thing. An impressive sight.   
  
Minato sure thought so as he looked at the quick sketches and his alarming attention to detail. Minato was sure of it now; Naruto had definitely been up close and personal with the seven swordsmen. But how? How could he-  
  
Uzushio... Of course. He must have met them during the battle of Uzushio!  
  
"Did you meet the Seven Swordsmen during the battle of Uzushio?" Minato found himself asking, mentally cringing quickly afterward. He shouldn't have said that in front of a bunch of curious kids...  _Shit._

 _**'... It's a good excuse.'** _  
  
_'... Yeah, I didn't think about that.'_

"Yup. I saw 'em." Naruto said casually, pointing towards one of the swords and turned around. He sweat-dropped. The eyes of the children seemed to damn well  **sparkle.** "First the swords and then Uzushio, alright?"  
  
They nodded eagerly, leaning forward in their seats.   
  
Meanwhile, Kakashi would never admit it, but he was trying to memorize everything the two of them said. Mostly Naruto, though _._ _He was super cool._ Not that he'd ever say that aloud.

"Right, this sword here is the  _Hiramekarei_. A soutou, twin swords. It's a double-handled sword that can store the wielders chakra and make it transform, taking different shapes." He pointed to the next one, "This is Kabutowari. A dontou, blunt sword. This thing is like a large axe and said to be able to cleave through anything." Next one, "Kiba is a sword that is more famously known as the  _Thunderswords_. They are the sharpest swords ever forged." The class wrote down every single word, "Kabikiriboushou, the Executioner's Blade. You see that ring in the top end, yeah? That's the perfect size to fit someone's head in." The rest was left unsaid, and the children paled a shade,"If the sword breaks, it absorbs the blood of its victims to regenerate. It's an unbreakable blade in a way."  
  
Minato kept his face entirely neutral, but his mind was reeling. How up and personal had he been with the Seven Swordsmen!?  
  
"Nuibari, the sewing needle. Nasty as hell, if I do say so myself." Naruto snorted, "There's a thin wire attached to it- just like a sewing needle. It can, literally, pierce through and sew together people." He tapped the blackboard, "Shibuki, a fuinjutsu sword. There's a never-ending scroll of explosive-tags on it. It's a blastsword that goes 'Boom' whenever it hits something."   
  
A rather grim expression grossed his face, an expression only Minato and Kakashi managed to catch, "This monster right here, is  _Samehada._ " He pointed at the sketch of a blade that looked more like a fucked up hedgehog than an actual blade, "Samehada is  _sentient_. Does anyone know what that means?"  
  
Nobody answered, and Naruto glanced to Minato who's lips were pressed into a thin line, "A sword with a conscious and a mind of its own. It's alive." The jounin said.   
  
Naruto nodded, "Indeed. Samehada is  _alive_. It doesn't need someone to wield it to attack. It can crawl on the ground and jump you on its own. It's a Greatsword with shark teeth and scales. A sword that sucks out the chakra of the person that holds it, and attaches itself to the people who has potent and powerful chakra. Only a rare few have ever been able to hold it. It's been known to kill unworthy people who've tried to do so. If you're ever unlucky enough to run across these people- watch out for the person who wields the Samehada. This person is the most powerful- without a doubt."  
  
There was an underlying meaning;  _I'd know,_  that Minato didn't miss it.  
  
"You guys wrote all of that down?"  
  
"Yes, Sensei!"  
  
Minato looked at the time, and then to Naruto. "I suppose that means question-time until lunch?"  
  
Naruto chuckled and sat back down on the desk, right beside his gorgeous partner. "Alright, brats! Questions! Raise your hand and one at a time! We'll get to you all!"  
  
Quite literally all hands shot into the air. And Obito raised both of his, trying to increase his chance to get to ask his first.  
  
Naruto almost snorted. He would have done the same back in the day, "Obito-kun is first."  _Because he'll burst otherwise..._

"Have you met the Seven Swordsmen!?" The young Uchiha had trouble sitting still, too excited to even make a conscious effort.  
  
Half the class lowered their hands.  
  
"Yup. All of 'em."  **All shot back up again.**  
  
"Genma-kun."  
  
"So that means you were at the battle of Uzushio six years ago?" The brunet wondered, his pen rolling between his lips.  
  
"Yup." Naruto said again, "I was in the first battalion."  
  
"Eh?" Kakashi said before he could stop himself. A part of him wanted to shrink into a small fly when everyone turned to look at him. But he forced a bored expression to cement itself on his face, "Isn't that the battalion who make contact with the enemy first? The one that receives the largest amount of loses?"  
  
"It is." Minato nodded, a faint smile on his lips. He could still remember watching Naruto walk across the road of crushed flowers- disappearing in blue flares that shot into the sky. "It's the battalion where all the strongest shinobi are. The same one where the Hokage is."  
  
There were a couple of 'ooh's and 'aah's. Awe and all that shit.   
  
"Next." Naruto looked around the room and grinned, "Gai-kun." He liked Gai. But he was surprisingly quiet during class most of the time. Always taking notes and writing things down.  
  
"How old were you?" He wondered, something unreadable in his eyes.  
  
"I was nine."  
  
There was a moment of silence in the classroom. Everyone processing what that meant. If it was the strongest battalion... and Naruto was only nine when he was placed in it...  
  
Minato sweat-dropped, but he couldn't deny that he'd been just as awe-struck when that tidbit of information had sunk into his head too. Naruto was an incredible shinobi. That much was obvious.   
  
Meanwhile, Kakashi felt his pulse speed up a little. Maybe he didn't admire Naruto just because his father did? Naruto was super strong, and obviously intelligent as well. Naruto... was really cool.  
  
"Rin-chan." He called next, "Shoot."  
  
"What's it like, fighting in a war?"  
  
Naruto hummed, glanced to Minato and Kakashi and smiled faintly, "There are different types of war. The war we are in right now is mostly larger skirmishes that change location along the border. It's only recently that our enemies have crossed into our country. That's one type of war. It's very open. The battle of Uzushio was very different. Have any of you been to Uzushio before?"  
  
Only a handful of children raised their hands, but Asuma was one of them. "Asuma-kun. When you were at Uzushio, what did you notice about the place?"  
  
Asuma's brows furrowed, thinking about the beautiful  _island_ \- "It's an island." He said, looking up, "It's pretty small too. For a whole country that is."  
  
Naruto nodded, "Exactly. Uzushio doesn't even have a third of Konoha's population.  _Their entire country,_ civilians, and shinobi combined _._ But everyone lives on that island. And when Iwa and Kiri invaded, they had more people in one of the two armies than Uzushio had in their overall population." The kids looked a little confused, so Minato decided to elaborate;   
  
"Imagine that there are twenty people in Uzushio in total. Fifteen civilians and five shinobi. Right?" They nodded, and Minato continued, "Two armies invaded Uzushio. One army had thirty shinobi, and the other had forty. That's way too many for a mere five shinobi, right? It's five against seventy."  
  
Naruto picked up, "Uzushio was going to be completely overrun. There wouldn't have been anything left if Konoha's forces didn't get there in time. It would have been a ruin by now. So, imagine those odds; an island big enough for twenty people, and seventy enemies rushing to take it over. How do you think a place like that would look like when you crammed that many people into that small space? Don't forget, Konoha's shinobi isn't even added into the calculation yet. So let's count together. A space that's big enough for twenty people. You have seventy enemies and about fifty-five Konoha shinobi."  
  
Minato walked to the blackboard, " _70 + 5 + 55 = 130._  One-hundred-and-thirty shinobi in an area fit for twenty. That's one-hundred-and-ten too much."  
  
"You wouldn't fit." Genma speculated, pen rolling around between his lips once again, "You'd have to stand on top of each other or something."  
  
Naruto's lips pressed into a thin line, and the kids paled. "Aa," He said grimly, "You stood on top of other people. There were so many people on that island that there were piles of bodies everywhere. Drifting in the sea and stacked up to build barriers between enemies and allies. It's the type of war that I can't really put into words. I'll never forget what it was like, or what it smelt like." But then he smiled softly, "However, I also remember the feeling when it was over. Uzushio is a strong nation, a country, of unrivaled strength and courage. We should be proud to have them as our allies- our comrades. You won't be able to find more loyal and trustworthy ones anywhere in the world. You better believe, that no matter the odds you face, you'll find that Uzushio shinobi will be standing right beside you- unwavering and strong, no matter what the possible outcome may be."  
  
_No matter what._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like these kinds of chapters, but they take so long to write. All the research you have to doooooooo. Which, by the way, is Canon facts. HEHE, HISTORY LESSON KIDS! DID YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW!? ( ╹ਊ╹)


	59. Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was supposed to be yesterday's update, but I was busy with a computer that decided to have a mental breakdown and vomit on my mood. Writing when you want to murder someone just makes people spontaneously die, I've noticed. Rip Hamada and Risa who ended up dead in a draft I'll never post ಥ_ಥ I wonder if that makes G.R.R Martin a very angry person? (ಡ艸ಡ)

"Can anyone tell me why we're doing this?" Naruto stuck a leaf on his forehead, ignoring the giggling girls and the sniggering boys.

Kakashi stood to the side, absently rubbing his temple while simultaneously wishing himself away. The only saving grace was that Naruto and Minato also partook in the horrendous affair that teaching snot-filled children were. They would all be dead otherwise. He didn't like brats.

Minato was handing out a leaf to each of the kids, smiling at them and stealing glances of Naruto whose amused eyes always seemed to find Minato's own whenever he did. It caused a soft, barely visible, hint of pink to dust Minato's cheeks. Apparently, he wasn't subtle enough to not get caught.

Asuma raised his hand. "Chakra training?"

"That's right." Naruto said and removed the leaf from his forehead, "You guys have been in the Academy for a while now, right?" Naruto watched them nod, "You've read a bunch of stuff about chakra by now. This year you're going to be learning how to use it, and if you haven't unlocked your chakra yet, we're going to help you do that."

"We're unlocking it now?" Rin leaned forward, and her eyes lit up with excitement.

That caused a whole bunch of questions to erupt from the group as Minato looked around himself in surprise; the kids were desperately clinging to his legs and reminding him of a pack of homeless puppies.

"Pleeease, sensei!"

"Pleeease!" They begged.

Minato sweat-dropped, "Settle down." He motioned for them to back away, "We have to do a few things first."

"Look over here," Naruto spoke up again, gaining everyone's attention. He held up the leaf, "This guy right here is going to be your new best friend. You've got your leaf, so when you have your chakra unlocked- if you haven't already- then start practicing control by attaching it to your forehead with the help of your chakra. Got it?"

The class chorused a loud 'Yes, Naruto-sensei!' Before they quickly formed two lines leading towards the two blonds.

Naruto sat down in a lazy lotus, patting the ground before him.

Unsurprisingly, Rin was first. She had a broad grin on her face, eyes twinkling. The girl was unable to sit still.

Naruto chuckled, "Something tells me you've been looking forward to this."  _Or, she'd consumed a bit too much sugar._

If at all possible, her smile only got bigger, "I've read  _everything_  about chakra! I'm going to be a medic-nin just like Tsunade-sama, so I have to start practicing!" She gushed.

"A medic, huh? That's a nice goal." Which, to be fair, it really was. Konoha had always had a shortage of competent medics.

Rin preened from the compliment, impatiently tapping her thighs. "Hurry, sensei!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down kiddo. Sit as I do." He instructed. She did, scooting closer and bumping her knees into Naruto's leg. He sighed, a small smile on his face. "Take my hands and close your eyes. What I want you to do is to try and feel my chakra. I'm going to guide you to yours using it. Think you can do that?"

"Yes!"

It was an unusual method. Very hands-on and not like the typical way of 'tell-don't-show' that many instructors used. Personally, he found that this method was the easiest and the quickest way to grasp a new technique through. If he introduced the method to them now, then they'd surely stick with it later as well.

However, with his chakra so potent and powerful- it was a delicate and much more dangerous method to use. When he taught Minato to water-walk, he'd already been at the strength of a Genin. Minato's reserves were much bigger, his body stronger and nowhere near as fragile as Rin was. If he lost his focus... he could burn her chakra coils.

Naruto furrowed his brows slightly, building the smallest of amounts of chakra that he could in his hand. It wasn't bigger than a grain of rice as it moved into Rin's hands.

She sucked in a sharp breath and almost pulled her hands away. His chakra was so warm, almost burning to the touch. It wasn't comfortable, not even a little as she felt it move through her body. It felt strange. It didn't _hurt_  per se, but it was uncomfortable enough that she didn't want it inside of her.

"Is all chakra this warm?" She whispered, and Naruto felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

"My chakra is special," He spoke just as quietly, an apology in his voice, "You're chakra won't be like that. Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt..."

"-but it's not nice." He squeezed her hands gently, "It won't hurt you, I promise. We're almost there."

Rin did her best to ignore her discomfort in favor of focusing on where exactly his chakra was going. It moved through her chest and stopped by her heart.

"I'm right above it." Naruto said softly, "I'm going to touch it, and when I do, you'll feel it. After that, you'll have to hold onto it yourself and pull it out."

"Okay."

Naruto closed his eyes, gently nudging the small pool of chakra inside of her. Once he did, he quickly withdrew- not wanting to disrupt the calm state of it. His chakra was mingled with Kurama's, which in turn meant that it was practically a hybrid of nature chakra. So far, there were only a handful of people he could use his chakra on without making them uncomfortable.

And these kids weren't those people.

_'Maybe I should leave this to Mina...'_

**_'Probably a good idea.'_ **

The moment his chakra left her system, Rin felt her own. It was like a small pool of comfortable warmth. Nothing like Naruto's. She couldn't help but compare them to ordinary- and boiling water. It was like Naruto had too much of something.

Naruto swallowed, hiding his guilt and sadness as he watched Rin's expression relax the moment his chakra left her system. While his chakra didn't hurt her, it wasn't exactly pleasant either. When one was surrounded by powerful shinobi, it was easy to forget what it could do to people.

**_'It's not your fault.'_ **

_'I know... but it still hurts.'_

Rin opened her eyes with a grin, "I did it! I can feel it everywhere now!"

Naruto did too, feeling how it moved around her system like water running through pipes.

"Good job, Rin-chan. Now focus that energy on your forehead when you practice holding your leaf to it."

"Thank you, Sensei!" She quickly pushed herself up, running toward a nearby tree and sat down beneath it to practice. Unconcerned about her previous discomfort.

Next up was Obito, but before he could take a seat- Naruto held up a hand, "Sorry, Obito-kun. It seems my chakra isn't suited for this. It's better if you all head over to Minato-Sensei."

"Awh man," Obito whined and pouted, "Now I'll have to wait for aaages!" He stomped his foot but moved towards the other blond jounin all the same. Asuma, who'd been standing right behind him, quietly followed which caused the rest to do so as well.

Minato patted the shoulder of a civilian boy, congratulating him on a job well done when he noticed the other children filling out his line.  _What are they doing...?_ He turned to Naruto to ask, but his question died on his lips. His eyes followed the quick and fluid movements of Naruto's hand;

_It's my_ _Kekkei Genkai_ _. I might hurt their coils._

Oh...  
  
Something twisted inside of him, and he nodded, forcing a smile while Naruto walked towards Kakashi to sit down beside him. An air of defeat surrounding him.  
  
Naruto sat down with a small sigh. He supposed he could technically try to explain how to find their chakra, but it was very different, and he knew from experience that it had sounded like a whole lot of bullshit during his childhood. He just didn't know what to say, and if he wanted their future jounin to pick up better methods for teaching, then this was how it had to be.   
  
Minato would have to be the one to unlock their chakra- if it wasn't already.   
  
Meanwhile, Kakashi glanced curiously at the blond teenager, "Is something wrong?"  
  
Naruto blinked, almost having forgotten that Kakashi was next to him, "My chakra is a bit special." He explained rather sheepishly, "I noticed that Rin-chan was uncomfortable, so it's better if Mina handles this."

Kakashi searched the schoolyard for Rin, finding her across the grounds with a frown on her face as she tried to stick a leaf to her forehead. "She looks fine."  
  
"She is." Naruto chuckled, "But it's not supposed to be an uncomfortable experience to unlock your chakra."  
  
"What's uncomfortable with it?"  
  
The jounin hummed, "I think everyone feels it differently, but it's very warm. Too warm for many."  
  
Kakashi watched the young man with a calculating sheen to his eyes. So his chakra was special because it was warm? Or what? He didn't really get it.  
  
"So what, it's just warm?"  
  
Naruto chuckled again, holding out his hand for Kakashi to take, "Might as well show you." It would save a lot of time and then he could make his own assumptions instead. It was easier for everyone.  
  
Hesitantly, but with as much determination as a five-year-old could have, he took Naruto's hand. The moment he did, something in his hand tingled uncomfortably. Well, it wasn't exactly uncomfortable. It felt strange, like an invasion of sorts. Naruto's chakra was definitely warm, borderline boiling in his hand. He'd never read about chakra doing that. So why did it?  
  
"It's warm," Kakashi agreed. "But it's not uncomfortable. Why is it this warm anyway? I've never heard of chakra acting that way." Maybe it was especially powerful with the fire release or something?  
  
It was difficult not to laugh at the young Genin. Sometimes he'd forget that Kakashi was a genius, and much more knowledgeable than people gave him credit for. "I have a Kekkei Genkai," Naruto revealed, removing his hand from Kakashi's. "It gives me a couple of unique abilities... and makes my chakra very warm."  
  
"I see." The young Genin said and dropped the topic without argument. Kekkei Genkai's were private affairs, and not appropriate to pry into. It obviously wasn't something Naruto was all that happy over either. It wasn't his place to ask.  
  
Naruto raised his hand, ruffling the boy's hair fondly, "People don't give you enough credit." He smiled but didn't elaborate.   
  
But he didn't have to.  
  
Kakashi's heart soared, and a small blush dusted his cheeks. It felt great to be acknowledged.

* * *

  
  
"That's everything for today." Minato addressed the kids gathered around him, "Keep practicing with the leaf, and you'll see massive improvements in your control." He promised, "Dismissed."

The kids instantly scattered into smaller groups, giggling, talking and laughing amongst themselves.  
  
"You can head home for today, Kakashi-kun. Good job today." Naruto gave the silver-haired boy a thumbs up and smiled.   
  
"My father will be picking me up," Kakashi informed, "He returned from his mission yesterday."  
  
"Ah, Sakumo-san, is it?" The two of them began to move towards the front gate of the Academy, Minato having left to pick up their papers and bags. It was quicker when he did it; Hiraishin and all that.  
  
"Yes, Hatake Sakumo."   
  
"I can't say I've talked to him before." Naruto mused, "We don't move in the same circles. But I have heard of him. He's pretty famous. Excellent shinobi."  
  
Kakashi walked a little taller, a hint of smugness underneath his mask as the two of them stepped onto the street.  
  
"Kakashi!" Someone suddenly called from across the road, and the boy whipped his head around. From down the street came a man that had an uncanny resemblance to Kakashi when he was older.   
  
"Father!"   
  
Naruto couldn't help but stare. He'd seen Sakumo a handful of times in various meetings, but they'd never talked. Frankly, he didn't know all that much about him aside from his deadly skills with a tanto that made his chakra appear white when he swung the blade. It was an heirloom from the Hatake clan that earned him the moniker of 'The White Fang.'  
   
The man came to a stop before them, placing a hand on the boy's head and smiled, "Good job, Kakashi." His attention then fell on Naruto, and he bowed- taking the blond back in surprise.  
  
"Uzumaki-san." He greeted, "It's a reassurance to have you watching over my son while he's on duty."  
  
Naruto forced his surprise to the side, "Maa, it's no problem. Kakashi-kun is perfectly capable of looking out for himself. I don't have any complaints regarding his performance."  
  
Sakumo stood back up and smiled kindly, then down at his son.   
  
Kakashi was of mixed feelings. He loved his father to bits, but he didn't like the way he was continually being coddled. He was a shinobi too, and sometimes it felt like his father didn't accept that. Perhaps that was why he liked Naruto so much? He never treated him as if he couldn't handle himself. He was always there- watching but never intervened unless he had to.   
  
"That's good," Sakumo then chuckled and ruffled the hair of his son, "He can be really stubborn sometimes."  
  
The boy groaned, and bat the man's hand away, "Father..."

But the man only laughed, and Naruto found himself smiling. Sakumo really loved his son.   
  
It was at that moment that Minato came back out from the school.  
  
"Ah, Namikaze-san." Sakumo took another bow, "Thank you for taking care of my son."  
  
Minato took a step closer to his boyfriend, handing him his bag while he smiled politely at the older man, "It's my pleasure, Sakumo-san."  
  
"I take it your mission went well, Sakumo-san? I heard you were summoned without much warning." Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets.   
  
Sakumo nodded, "As well as can be expected in enemy territory. There's been a lot of rescue missions lately. Almost back to back." He admitted tiredly, "It's no Uzushio, but they're good at boxing us in. We've lost a lot of good shinobi and kunoichi on the front lines with that kind of tactic. They're especially keen on taking out the Uzu-nin on our teams. It's a mess out there."  
  
Naruto frowned at the thought. People were still apparently very keen on getting rid of the Uzushio forces.

"I suppose that's why there's a shortage of personnel in the Academy at the moment," Minato speculated. The staff-room was hardly full anymore. Most people moved from classroom to classroom. "Since when did the need for all these rescue missions begin?"  
  
"Couple of weeks ago. The one I was on was pretty far out." Sakumo explained, "We have three nations trying to advance into our country to claim territory at the same time. We're hard-pressed to keep the borders closed. Honestly, I have no idea how we would have managed without Uzu and their seals."  
  
Naruto hummed thoughtfully, "Maybe, but the only real threat is Kumo and Suna." He said, gaining everyone's attention. Especially the older Hatake's, "Iwa is like a dog with bark and no bite. They're still trying to recover from their disaster of an invasion of Uzushio. Right now they're just trying to convince people that they're still strong. But Kumo is a different story. The current Raikage is a collector," Naruto grimaced along with Minato. They both recalled their encounter in the Nogusa fields- and judging by Sakumo's expression; he knew about it too. "They want territory and to expand their military power. This war presents the perfect opportunity. A good excuse to get their hands on different Kekkei Genkai's."  
  
"And Suna is desperate." Sakumo nodded, in full agreement. "The Sandaime Kazekage didn't take well to the terms Hokage-sama demanded in order to form an acceptable alliance. They wanted land- and Hokage-sama wouldn't give it to them."  
  
"Suna and Konoha talked about an alliance?" Kakashi asked, having previously been silent as he allowed the adults to talk while he absorbed the information.  
  
The three of them blinked, then smiled sheepishly, "Maa, Kakashi." Sakumo placed a hand on his son's head, "We should be heading back. Gotta made dinner and all that."  
  
The boy frowned, silently cursing his curiosity. Had he just been quiet, perhaps they would have continued- even if he didn't understand all of it. Information was still information.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow, Kakashi-kun." Naruto grinned, mirth in his eyes.  
  
"Bye, Kakashi-kun." Minato waved his hand.   
  
"Bye." The boy grumbled, and grudgingly followed his father who waved his hand at the two blonds in a goodbye.  
  
Naruto watched the two of them round a corner. Smiling a little to himself as he played with the knowledge of being allowed to know things his sensei wasn't. Back when he was a genin, Kakashi had been close-lipped about a lot of things. If felt pretty nice that it was the reverse for a change.  
  
Fingers threaded in between his, and Naruto looked to the side where his partner stood- eyes soft and clear as day.  
  
"Thanks for today." He found himself saying. Those eyes of his could draw out just about anything.  
  
Minato's lips pulled into a sad smile, "Was it that bad?"  
  
"I only used enough chakra to coat a grain of rice... but she still winced at the touch." Naruto forced a stiff smile, and Minato squeezed his hand in comfort.   
  
He hated seeing Naruto so clearly upset over something. There was a lot of things he didn't understand about Naruto's chakra. The laws and restrictions it had, for example. But he was slowly beginning to realize that it had severe limitations of who could be in contact with it. But he did know one thing; "I love your chakra." He stated softly.  
  
Naruto and Kurama both felt their heartstrings tug at his words. "You're one of very few that do." Naruto pulled him a little closer. Allowing one of his hands to caress his smooth and soft cheek, "Thank you, Mina. You always know what to say to cheer me up."  
  
Minato leaned into his touch, "I don't understand how people can't love it. It's so warm and soothing. Almost like basking in sunlight." He turned a little to the side, placing a kiss on Naruto's hand. "Let me feel it?"  
  
Naruto didn't have to do anything- Kurama was happy enough to push his chakra into Naruto's hand. It was nice to have it appreciated for once. And if he used a little more than usual... Well. Sue him.  
  
Warmth spread through Minato's entire body, and he instinctively stepped into Naruto's personal space and placed his head on his shoulder. "It feels so nice." He sighed in content, his arms moving around the taller jounin who smiled in amusement, "People are crazy." How could people not love this? It was one of the best feelings in the world.  
  
"I think they would say the same about you." Naruto held him a little closer, "What did I ever do to deserve you?"  
  
"Probably something amazing," Minato grinned into his vest, a hint of teasing in his voice, "Like saving the world."  
  
Any other time that would have been hilarious. But Naruto didn't really see it that way since it was pretty much correct.   
  
Man... his life _sucked_  sometimes...  
  
"Or maybe you did something terrible in yours, and I'm your punishment." He whispered dramatically, refusing to get depressed again. He'd had about enough of those damn feelings of his.   
  
Minato slowly leaned back. His expression entirely flat, "I'm an  **angel.** "  
  
Naruto's lips parted, but then a loud snort tore through him, " **As if!**  You're only an angel when you plan to murder someone. I swear, when you're angry you look like you could smother a baby with one hand and cuddle a kitten with the other. _Simultaneously._ "  
  
"I do not!" Minato protested, feeling mildly irritated by the single brow that rose in response. There's no way he looked like that!  
  
"Say that to Mitarashi Ryouga. The poor guy dives into an alley whenever he sees you on the street." Naruto had actually seen that happen once. Kurama had quite a laugh about it too.  
  
The older jounin puffed up his cheeks in irritation at the mere mention of them, "Yeah, well, he had it coming! I don't like them." Them, as in the Mitarashi.   
  
"So I've gathered." He chuckled, "I bet they won't be coming around anytime soon either. Too traumatizing."  
  
Minato's irritation slipped away, and he scratched his neck awkwardly, "Was it really that bad?"  
  
"Traumatizing."  
  
The jounin hung his head. Maybe he should find them and apologize?  
  
"But I think you should get angry more often." Naruto decided suddenly, a foxy grin spread across his face as he leaned forward. His lips brushing up against Minato's ear, "Because when you're angry," He whispered, nibbling a little on Minato's skin as he heard the blond suck in a surprised breath, "You look  _so_  good. So _feisty_ and full of  _energy._ " Naruto placed a soft kiss right underneath his ear. A sweet and gentle kiss that could easily be interpreted as a promise.  
  
Minato's pulse picked up speed, and he swallowed thickly. That wasn't arousing at all for some reason. Nope. "Even when I'm angry with you?" He whispered back, a little hopeful, strangely enough.  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Maa... probably not. You can be kinda scary." Naruto pulled back and looked to the side, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Honestly, Minato scared him shitless when he was angry at him. When his gaze fell back to the blond again, he promptly froze at the sight and a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.  
  
Silence.   
  
"So... you get scared of me?" Minato fluttered his eyelashes innocently, a  _'this-is-going-to-be-used-against-you'_ -smile adorning his handsome face.   
  
Oh shit.  
  
"D-don't get any ideas!" Naruto slowly backed away from his partner as he suddenly felt very apprehensive about their proximity. It sure didn't help that Minato looked a little _too_  sweet at the moment. His hands rose to keep the young jounin away, "I-I cook your dinner, and I make you feel good in be- KYA!" He shrieked, "DON'T PINCH MY ASS IN PUBLIC!" He shouted hysterically at the prowling and innocent-looking demon, "STAY BACK!" He tossed his bag at him "NO, STOP IT! BAD, MINA! SIT!"  
  
" _Naaaaru-chaaan~._ "  
_**  
'To be honest... I think you should run.'**_

* * *

  
  
  
"You're lucky I find you really hot, or you'd be at the bottom of the lake right now." Naruto scolded mildly, "You have to control your impulses. You're supposed to be a jounin."  
  
Minato huffed from where he hung upside-down, tied up, and thrown over Naruto's shoulder. "I regret nothing!" He declared.  
  
"I've gathered that." Naruto pinched his partner's butt, grinned from ear to ear as the blond yelped and began to move around to get out of his hold. "Now look at the state of you. All tied up and at my mercy."  
  
There was a long pause as Minato blinked slowly, "You know," He said, a fair bit amused, "If I knew that, I might have done this a lot sooner."  
  
Naruto missed a step and stumbled slightly, _"Baka!"_ He readjusted the hold on his partner- as one would do to a backpack that was sliding off his shoulders.   
  
Minato groaned from the small jump and the sudden pain coming from his stomach. "Naruuu, that's so mean!" He let out a pathetic whine,  "I'm supposed to be your boyfriend. You should treat me better."  
  
"I _feed_ you," Naruto stated dryly as if that was everything one needed to counter such a statement.  
  
"I can cook."  
  
"We can't live on toast and omelette for the rest of our lives."  
  
"...I can make  _onigiri_ , you know."  
  
Naruto snorted, "That's literally a ball of cooked rice, you know that right? It doesn't take a genius to shape it into a triangle and wrap it in nori."  
  
"Don't diminish my cooking skills! I'll have you know that my old roommate made them into _squares!"_  
  
Naruto chuckled as he walked through the streets and pointedly ignored all the strange looks he was given. Some merely sighed- as if though it was normal.  
  
"Fine, how do you make an onigiri? Go through all the steps."  
  
"I wash the rice, then I put it in the _rice cooker!_ And then I make them into triangles and wrap some nori over it. HAH, see! I can cook!"  
  
If Minato could have seen Naruto's face at that moment, he would have seen how difficult it was for the former Kage to not laugh his ass off. His face was practically red as he held a hand over his face, "Yeah? What seasoning do you use? Rice oil? Salt? Filling?"  
  
There was a long moment of silence.  
  
"Real men eat plain rice!" He shouted, loud enough to cause a couple of passing shinobi to muffle a snigger.  
  
"Looks like you're going to have a change in diet starting today. Plain rice, was it? Do you want tap water with that, or do you want me to grab a bucket from the river?" Naruto grinned, turning his head enough to look into a nearby window.   
  
Their eyes met, and when Minato realized Naruto could see him... he used his _deadliest_ technique:  ** _puppy-eyes!_**

"Narrruuu?"  
  
"What?" The former Kage smirked.  
  
"I love you, please don't let me starve."   
  
"I love you too, Mina." The blond chuckled and turned towards the street again. Minato was so damn adorable sometimes. Well, _always,_  actually.  
  
The two of them were silent for a long moment.   
  
"Naru?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Can you take another lap around the village?"  
  
Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why'd I want to do that? We're almost home."  
  
"I like the view." Minato smiled not-so-innocently against the moving butt. A butt that belonged to none other than Uzumaki Naruto. Maybe if he leaned closer, he could bite him too?  
  
_"Oi!"_

 

##  **Fanart**  
  


**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Slips on the doctor's coat* I diagnose Minato with a severe case of 'Fox syndrome'. It is when a Fox influences a human a little too much. Captain Toto, who is the boy's favourite summon, is not a good influence on him. Why? One might ask. It's very simple. Captain Toto is batshit insane. 
> 
> I had a talk with a friend yesterday, and she mentioned that she liked one particular scene in this story(When Naruto gave Minato his necklace). It had me curious, what's your favourite scene/part of this story, and why?


	60. Konoha's resident Genin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big shout-out to lovely Ell who've made the first piece of Fanart to The Yellow Dyad. It looks freaking awesome, so make sure to check it out after you've read the chapter! Totally nailed my image of what Naruto looks like as well!
> 
> If you guys are interested in making some more, then send me a link once it's done and I'll post them too.
> 
> Enjoy, my little minions!!

Naruto couldn't resist him. His skin looked so inviting, and his sleeping face belonged to nothing short of heaven. Minato was so beautiful, so handsome that he seemed to glow whenever Naruto laid eyes on him.

_His Mina._

Minato's chest slowly moved up and down, deep breaths indicating a deep and peaceful rest. Naruto drew a little closer, and then lower as he began to place soft kisses on Minato's bare chest.

His skin was warm and soft, like silk and velvet all wrapped up into one.

Naruto couldn't shake the feeling of having been entrusted to guard a precious treasure. There weren't any words in the world that could describe how important Minato was to him. Nor describe how breathtaking he looked.

So he had to show him through actions. Kisses and small touches, smiles, and declarations of love through breakfast in bed and hugs when he least expected it. And waking him up in the most pleasant way that he knew.

A hand gently touched his head, but Naruto didn't stop the small and soft kisses he continued to place across Minato's chest and abdomen.

Minato woke up with a smile, something he always seemed to do these days. How could he not when he was so happy? It sure helped that waking up every morning proved to be different every time. But he liked this the best; Waking up to the loving touch of his partner and boyfriend.

"Good morning," He greeted softly. This was going to be a good day, he just knew.

Minato felt Naruto smile against his skin, "Maa, it's not exactly morning anymore."

His brows furrowed just a bit, "What time is it?"

"Almost one." Naruto made his way up Minato's body, all the way to the shocked expression on his face- and kissed it with a smile on his lips.

"One...?" He breathed. The last time he slept over fourteen hours was when he was sick!

"I think you underestimate how tiring it is to handle kids all week." Naruto chuckled, kissing his forehead and nose, smiling all the while as Minato's eyes fluttered shut with each one, "But is a good thing you finally woke up. Your food's getting cold."

Minato's chest warmed, and he reached out to draw him closer and steal a single kiss. "You keep spoiling me." He accused, but there was no edge to his voice, or reprimand.

"Of course," Naruto said, as if though the notion of spoiling him was the most natural thing in the world, "I want to do things for you. To make you feel loved and appreciated, and to show you how much I care about you." He paused for a moment and then grinned, "Plus, I like to surprise you. You look cute when you're surprised."

"I'm not cute," Minato puffed his cheeks up slightly, "I'm a deadly assassin!"

"Well, this deadly assassin is going to eat his food before he gets grumpy, and then jump into the bath I've prepared for him so he can smell like vanilla ice cream."

"... that does sound nice." Minato sighed, admitting defeat.

Naruto smiled, "It does, doesn't it?"

Minato pushed himself up against the headboard; a pillow neatly tucked in between. "What are we doing today? Or for the rest of the day since I slept half of it away."

"I don't know about you, but Taketa wanted to talk for a while, so I'm going to TI for a couple of hours. Did you finish all of the paperwork from yesterday?"

Frankly, Minato felt like lying, to say that he didn't have anything on his schedule and that, perhaps, he could go with him to TI. Even if Taketa worked there, it didn't sit right with him that Naruto went there on his own.

"It's about that thing, isn't it? The one I can't know about." It hurt not to be included in his secrets. They were partners and boyfriends, yet there were things Naruto refused to tell him.

And he had agreed to remain ignorant. He'd promised not to pry. Still, it was proving more difficult than he'd like to admit at times.

Naruto's stomach churned with guilt, and he took a seat beside him, watching at Minato picked at his food.

"Mina... I've already told you why." He raised his hand to turn his partner towards him. Minato's blue gaze locked to his, and they had a rather small and stubborn hurt deep inside, "One day you'll most likely know." Minato's eyes widened a fraction, "But I'm not ready for that yet. I'm bound by law and a multitude of other reasons I don't even want to think about. I'm sorry."

Despite how upset he wanted to feel, he couldn't. Minato nodded and smiled faintly at the blond beside him, "I'm sorry too. I'll stop prying."

Naruto shook his head, leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead, "It's understandable. I'm not upset about it. Just... I can't tell you."

"When are you leaving?"

"In a couple of minutes."

Crestfallen, Minato instantly felt his body turn heavy. He'd slept half the day away and missed his opportunity to spend his Saturday with Naruto. Now he didn't know how long it'd be before they saw each other again. ' _A couple of hours_ ' he'd said... but that could be everything from  _now_  until  _evening_.

"Oh."

But Naruto chuckled, leaning forward to kiss him again. "What do you want for dinner? I'll pick something up on my way back."

"Ramen." Minato quickly replied. Ramen didn't take long to receive after ordering. That way Naruto could come home sooner.

Genius!

"Ramen it is!" Naruto grinned, "I should get going though. Finish that," he gestured to the tray of food in Minato's lap, "And then take that bath. It smells amazing in there." Because he couldn't wait to cuddle up in Minato's arms and feel the scent of vanilla ice cream on him once he got home again.

Man, damn Taketa and his ill-planned meetings.

"Alright," Minato leaned back against the headboard with a small sigh and a smile. "I have some papers to grade anyway. Don't take too long, okay?"

"Nothing can keep me away from you."  


* * *

 

There was something strange with TI, Naruto felt. It was as if it was a building designated for misfits and ' _those people_ '- as in; the emotionally stunted and mentally questionable people.

Just look at Taketa, the man was strange, no question about it. A cool guy, granted, but he  _was_  weird. At times, he reminded him a little of Sai.

Sai was socially retarded that much anyone could tell. Taketa wasn't  _that_  bad, but he sure as hell had his moments.

"I've got an appointment with Shimpei Taketa," Naruto stated as he stopped by the reception desk.

"Name?" The young woman with long blond hair drawled as she filed her nails, her nails far more interesting than her job.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The woman froze, and she looked up in shock, "U-Uzumaki-sama?" She stammered.

Ah... it was one of those people. There were only one set of people who called him 'sama.'

"The room for the meeting?" He raised a brow, and the woman quickly turned to the stack of papers on her desk. She fiddled with them for a while, and then pulled out a note.

"Room 666, 4th floor."

Naruto snorted incredulously, waved his hand slightly, and quickly moved towards the stairs. There was no way Taketa had all the cogwheels in the right place.

There wasn't a worse omen you could get... and he'd made it his office.  


* * *

 

Taketa sat behind his desk, a finger in his ear and a violent urge to torch his desk. Why one might ask. He found that he  **hated**  his job.

It was all fun and games when he could poke his nose into things that definitely wasn't his fucking business, but he did it anyway because it was pretty juicy stuff most of the time.

That seemingly ordinary and kind elderly woman across from the local flower shop that always holds a broom in her hand? Yeah, ex-con. She was a drug-dealer and a pimp back in the day. Whenever he'd see her these days, he just couldn't help but be fascinated by the sight of her. The woman was a hardcore criminal. She also handed out small lollipops and caramels to kids, sneaking them into their pockets like a good old ' _grandmother_.' The woman was obviously struggling to not sneak 'treats' in locals hands, be it candy or drugs.

Mad shit is what it is.

But as for why he hated his job? Well, the incessant amount of fucking paperwork that existed for the sole reason of pissing him off was a pretty legit reason as to why. Why he had a secretary and an assistant- he had no fucking idea. They were all a bunch of useless dickheads. All they ever did was bring more shit to read and to clutter his desk with.

One of these days he'd substitute the toilet paper with the papers on his desk. That shit wasn't better than ass-wipes anyway.

There was a knock on his door, and he almost wept with joy at the distraction.

"Save me!" He cried.

The door opened without any hurry, and Naruto walked in- entirely amused. "One of these day's you're going to make people wonder about you, you know."

Taketa leaned back in his chair, grinning from ear to ear, "You make it sound like people aren't already."

"I rest my case." Naruto held up his hands, a long-suffering sigh escaping him.

"Thank god you're here." The man pushed himself up from his chair, trotted over to a shelf, moved a handful of books to the side, reached for a hidden sake bottle and two empty cups, and then moved across the room, "I've had this baby for months. It's past time I drank the whole damn thing."

"I can't get drunk, you realize that." The younger of the two reminded slowly.

"So that's true, huh?" Taketa dropped down in one of the couches in the corner of his office. A small sitting area to relax and drink tea... in office 666. "That's gotta suck. I can't imagine not being able to get totally pissed once in a while."

Naruto gingerly sat down, "I wouldn't know. It just tastes funny."

If Taketa noticed Naruto's reasonably hidden unease, then he didn't comment. While he had his moments of missing social cues, he was aware why Naruto reacted the way he did. It couldn't be easy to reveal something like  _that_. Something he also didn't have any control over.

"Then all the more for me!" He cheered, filling Naruto's cup all the same and hogging the entire bottle for himself.

"What's up with the location of your office anyway? Are you trying to tell people something when they get summoned to your office?" If someone got summoned to Taketa's office and they were a firm believer in omens... Well, they would be pissing themselves on the way to it.

Taketa smirked, "Genius, isn't it? The number of people who come in here and tremble is beautiful."

"You have issues, man." Naruto snorted, leaning back in his seat.

"Don't we all." He gave the young man a pointed look, and Naruto had the decency to look a bit struck by it. "How did you end up a Jinchuuriki anyway?"

There was a moment of silence before Naruto leaned forward and began to draw something with his finger on the table. It was a seal, Taketa noticed, a seal he was familiar with as well. Although, he'd never seen it drawn with chakra alone. Maybe that was some neat Uzumaki clan trick?

Either way, it was probably for the better- to make Naruto feel safer.

Naruto finished the privacy seal, activating it with ease.

"Paranoid much?" Taketa smirked into his bottle.

"Yeah," Naruto didn't miss a beat, "That tends to happen when people want to kill you for what you are. I'd rather not have people know if I can help it."

Taketa stared, slowly processing what he'd just heard. He held up a hand- as if to pause life, "We'll get to that part in a moment." He promised with a rather funny expression, "First, how did you become a Jinchuuriki?"

Naruto contemplated the answer. Frankly, he didn't want to lie. He was tired of lying all the time. But he knew he couldn't tell the entire truth either.

 ** _'Compromise.'_**  A deep and profound voice spoke in his mind.

"Uzumaki Mito-sama died when I was nine, and I was made a Jinchuuriki during her passing." He reached for his cup, and looked down at the clear liquid, "Or so Uzushio will claim." His lips touched the bitter alcohol. It tasted like shit.

A pair of brown eyebrows furrowed, "You make it sound like Uzushio would lie to Konoha."

"Everyone lies." Naruto stated dryly, "It doesn't matter what Konoha thinks. Uzushio might be Konoha's allies, but I'm an Uzumaki and if they have to lie to keep me safe- then they will."

Taketa hummed, taking another sip, "I take it that you weren't made a Jinchuuriki when you were nine then."

"Same day I was born."

A rain of sake shot across the table, and Naruto casually reached for a pillow and dragged it across his wet arm. "What!? The day you were born?" Taketa used his sleeve to wipe away the liquid on his face- not even phased by the mess he'd just made. "You can't make a Jinchuuriki from newborns, that's insane!"

"Well, they did." Naruto took another sip. It still tasted like shit. "I had half of it sealed inside of me when I was born, and then later I got the second half too." Which wasn't actually a lie. It fit with his fabricated backstory and his  _actual_  backstory as well. "I've always been a Jinchuuriki."

To be honest, Taketa didn't know what to say to that. It was information that Konoha didn't have, and from what he did know about Jinchuuriki and bijuu, they had to be at least able to walk and talk before something like that was forced upon them. It would seem Naruto never even got the change to make memories of a normal childhood. He'd always been different.

"What's it like, to a have a demon sealed inside of you? I mean, it's bound to be weird, right?"

A smile stretched across Naruto's face as he chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mirth, "Kurama is not a demon. He's a chakra construct with a mind and feelings of his own."

PAUSE.

Taketa held up his hand again in a typical: What-the-Fuck gesture. "Rewind. Not demon? Kurama?"

This time Naruto did laugh, "His name is Kurama. It's the name he was given when he was born-"

"Someone gave birth to him!?" That had to be one big- ... something?

"-and he's not a demon. Yes, of course, he was born." Naruto raised a brow, "Everything in the world is born. Kurama is no different. The only problem is that nobody is old enough to remember from whom. I think peoples perception of the bijuu would change if that were the case."

"You're going to tell me who mommy and daddy are, right?" Taketa honestly looked like a gossiping house-wife at the moment. All giddy and excited.

"It's the Sage of the Sixth Paths," Naruto said simply.

Silence.

"What was that?"

"It's the Sage of the S-"

"I heard the first time!" Taketa exclaimed. He tapped his chin, deep in thought. "That's a significant plot twist." A hum, an 'ah' and then a frown later, "I can't see it." He crossed his arms, "Who the hell did the Sage have to shag to make a creature the size of Konoha?"

Naruto stared. Kurama's jaw slackened a bit, and he looked around himself.  _Who..._ ** _did_** _he have to shag?_  


* * *

 

"Do we have to?" Naruto groaned, but Taketa wouldn't have any of it. The man was tipsy, cheeks rosy and a poorly hidden giggle bursting out of him every two minutes.

"PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!" He fell to his knees and quite literally begged.

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll cut your balls off."

"On Kurama's mother, I swear!" Taketa made a dramatic gesture, a cross over his heart and as serious a face as he could muster... before he burst into giggles again.

 _'On Kurama's mother'_  would most definitely become an inside joke for the two of them.

"Fine. Just, stand back alright? Knowing you, you'll be in my face- I SAID GET BACK IDIOT!"

Taketa pouted, giggled and backed away from the teenager's personal space.

"C'mon! I don't have all day! I have papers to wipe my ass with!"

"If I were Hokage, I'd fire your sorry ass." Naruto grimaced- but it was mostly in humor.  _Mostly._

"No, you wouldn't." Taketa denied, "You'd make me your right-hand-  _No,_ that's the fap hand." He frowned, grinned and beamed, "That's little MINATO-CHAN! So I'll be your  _left-hand_. It's the fap-hand that feels like a stranger." He giggled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Naruto laughed, unable to help himself anymore while Kurama was slowly beginning to warm up to the guy. The Foxes from the Zao forest would love this idiot.

Naruto took a moment to focus. It was a long time ago since he'd used that technique. However, that didn't seem to matter much. It was like greeting a long lost friend.

It was easy to slip into the golden chakra cloak that had become close to a legend at this point. After the battle of Uzushio, no one had seen it. It was now only spoken about in a strange sort of mystical wonder and fear between shinobi and kunoichi who'd been at the battle. It honestly made Naruto feel a little freaked out.

Taketa sucked in a sharp breath. And... ** _squealed_** **.**

"Oh MI GAWD!" He rushed forward, unconcerned that the chakra might burn him. If it stung his skin, then he was too drunk to give a shit. He pulled, tugged and examined the poor Kage with a fascination and curiosity that would have made Orochimaru look like a sissy.

"Are you solid?" He all but punched the blond in the shoulder.

"Ouch, what the hell!" Naruto rubbed it. It didn't actually hurt, but it was the principle of things.

"So it's just a layer of chakra." Taketa stepped back, shrugged and turned around like he was too good for his present company, "Laaaame!"

Kurama's eyebrow twitched.

A giant golden chakra arm shot out from Naruto's body, making its way towards Taketa and snatched him up. The man shrieked, like a girl, and he flailed with his arms.

"No-no-no! Not upside down! Nooo!"

Naruto merely sighed. Leave it to Kurama to get offended about his abilities not being 'cool' enough. Call the Fox 'lame,' and he'd fuck you sideways. For all his long years alive, Kurama was prideful to a fault. And sadistic, apparently... judging by Taketa's rapidly greening face.

"I dun feel so good..." Taketa burped.

Naruto's and Kurama's eyes widened, and the two of them leaped back just in time to dodge as the head of TI vomited on the floor.

**_'Satoru would like him.'_ **

_'Probably...'_  


* * *

 

Hamada causally made his way into TI, a file under his arm and neatly walked around, and appropriately greeted the people he met in the corridors as he headed towards the 4th floor and room 666.   
  
He just had to drop off the document, sniff around the man's shelf for a cup of sake, and then he was going to go home and walk naked in his house- neighbors be damned. It was about damn time that he had some time off. All he wanted was a simple, ordinary, uneventful and- "What the fuck?"  
  
Naruto looked up, the privacy seal having been forgotten in the midst of trying to walk around the vomit pool and the happily sleeping head of TI.   
  
Hamada stared, covered his nose, peeked into the corridor, closed the door, stared at the mess his old friend was face-deep in, literally. And then to a sheepish Naruto. The black-haired jounin raised a single brow.  
  
"He-"  
  
"I don't want to know." Hamada interrupted mildly. "There's no doubt in my mind that he did this to himself, and I'd be willing to bet he roped you into it too. It's what he does."  
  
Naruto sighed, but then chuckled, "This place smells like shit."   
  
"And so will he." Hamada poked the snoring man with his foot, "Might add to the drama regarding the office though. If people come in here and notice the distinct smell of barf, then I'm sure people will spill the beans faster than they normally would."  
  
"So..." Naruto slowly rose from where he tried to get a good look at Taketa's face, "What are we supposed to do with him now?"  
  
Hamada instantly whipped out a notebook from his jounin vest, a pen quickly following. He gave Naruto a bored look, clicked the cap of the pen, immediately wrote something down on the paper, ripped it off and handed it over to the blond whom he hadn't dropped eye-contact with.   
  
Naruto blinked slowly and then turned his attention to the note.  
  
_-I'm a fucking idiot.-_  
  
"I mean... it's not a lie, right?" He said as he pinned the note to the back of Taketa's trench-coat.  
  
Nope... It most definitely wasn't a lie.

* * *

  
  
Naruto took a deep breath once he finally stepped outside. It didn't smell like barf anymore, and his poor nose was finally shown some mercy.   
  
"I'm not setting foot in that place until that shit is cleaned and sanitized."   
  
Hamada chuckled, "That's wishful thinking if I've ever heard it. Once he realizes he can scare people with the scent, he'll never clean it out."  
  
"Urgh, gross." What if Taketa began to smell like vomit too? He has a sensitive nose dammit!!  
  
"Where are you off to next?"  
  
"Going to pick up some Ramen for dinner. Mina wanted it today."  
  
Hamada smirked, "Aren't you the housewife." He teased.  
  
Naruto rolled his eyes, but smirked right back, "And I have a sexy blond in my bed to keep me warm every single day because of it. What do you have?"  
  
There was a moment of silence until Hamada grinned, "Savage bastard."  
  
"And don't forget it." The blond jounin said mildly.  
  
"I'm heading the same way as you. Wants some company, or are you too savage for dear old me?"  
  
Naruto smiled, "I always have time for friends."  
  
Hamada smiled right back.  
  
The two of them fell into a calm and pleasant silence while they moved through the streets and deeper into the heart of the village. It was lively, around dinner time, and thus resulting in a lot of families heading to restaurants.   
  
But their peace came to an abrupt halt at the sound of a familiar voice. Naruto stopped, and because of that- Hamada did too.   
  
"Just stop it already!" Gai shouted.  
  
Naruto frowned, and leaned around the edge of the nearby building to get a better look at what was going on.  
  
"One should never give up, no matter what!" A man that looked alarmingly like Gai exclaimed happily, all bright and determined- just as Gai always used to be in Naruto's old life.  
  
"You're just embarrassing yourself!" Gai shouted again, "You're embarrassing _me!"_  
  
Naruto, Hamada, and the older man watched Gai run away, deep into the crowd until he disappeared from sight.  
  
The older man's eyes lost its bright shine, and he hung his head in defeat. It didn't take long before he quietly walked away as well, defeated and hurt.  
  
"Who is that man?" Naruto asked quietly, a fair bit concerned about what he'd just witnessed.  
  
"That," Hamada watched the retreating man with sympathy, "is Maito Dai. Konoha's resident Genin."  
  
Naruto felt something churn uncomfortably in his stomach.  
  
_Wasn't Gai an orphan like Lee...?_

 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By Kurama's mother *Pokes Taketa with a stick*


	61. Pixie Worship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Crawls back into my dark cave*

Naruto said his goodbyes to Hamada and then veered off towards another street. The moment the other jounin was gone, Naruto quickly formed the Clone Sign and a copy of himself popped into existence.

"Get the Ramen, place it outside the front door and dispel. I'm going to Ero-sennin." He had information to gather.

The clone nodded, "Osu."

The two of them took off in opposite directions, and Naruto quickly took to the roofs of the village. It was the quickest way to travel, and if he got there fast, then he'd be done by the time his clone got the food and delivered it to their doorstep. The rooftops were reasonably empty, and a handful of shinobi and kunoichi alike greeted him as he passed by.

It didn't take long for Naruto to reach his old house. He entered, not bothering knocking or even ringing the doorbell. A single flare of his chakra was all the warning the Sannin received of his arrival. Hopefully, Naruto thought grimly, the three of them weren't naked somewhere inside. It wouldn't be the first time he found them like that. Which was pretty fucked up in its own way.

Thankfully, they weren't as they sat at the kitchen table with dinner in front of them.

"Naruto." Orochimaru acknowledged in a minor drawl, taking a moment to look up from his food. Rice, salmon and miso soup were laid out neatly in front of him. A rather simple dinner. No doubt Jiraiya had cooked it- he couldn't cook more than he could flirt with women.

"What's up kid?" Jiraiya asked as Tsunade looked the former Kage up and down, and then around him in search of Minato. It was rare that they didn't come attached to the hip. Which meant that something was up. Plus, little Mina-chan was so cute!

Naruto took a seat at the table, "Wasn't Gai an orphan?" There was no point beating around the bush. He had a Ramen delivery and a gorgeous blond he wanted to get back to as quickly as possible.

Jiraiya let out a small 'ah' as he remembered, "I'd forgotten about Maito Dai." The man wasn't that significant in the grand scheme of things.

"The Genin?" Tsunade raised a brow. She'd heard about him and seem him around the village on occasion. The man was odd, to put it mildly.

"He's not capable of molding chakra, that's why he's a Genin." Orochimaru had the mind to explain. He figured Naruto must have come by to learn more about him, "He's a 'Career Genin.'" Which was as far as his knowledge about the man stretched. While he often made it a point to learn about the ninja of the village... Maito Dai was a mere Genin who couldn't make it further. A nobody.

Naruto frowned, absently scratching his chin, "Why haven't I heard about him before? I thought Gai was an orphan like Lee."

"Well, he technically was." Jiraiya shrugged, "Dai ends up dying when Gai and his little teammates encounter the full circus of the Seven Swordsmen. He buys them enough time to escape while he uses the Eight Gates. Apparently, he brought four of them with him as he went down too."

Tsunade's mouth promptly fell open, and Orochimaru wasn't far behind, although he quickly gathered himself and thought about it logically;

"So I take it that Gai learns the Eight Gates from his father?" Orochimaru deduced, and Jiraiya nodded easily. Well... Holy shit?

"Yup."

"So it's not for another two or three years, at least." Naruto sighed with relief, leaning back in his chair as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "At least Gai  _is_  capable of molding chakra, but he doesn't have a lot of it." Man, what a headache.

"What sparked your interest in Dai?" Jiraiya shoved a piece of fish into his mouth, curiosity visible in his eyes. He pointedly ignored the fact that his dinner tasted like cardboard.

"I saw Gai and Dai-san arguing in the middle of the street earlier. I don't think they have that good of a relationship, and it would explain why Gai is nowhere near as energetic as I remember him to be. Honestly, it was disturbing to see at first. It doesn't feel like Gai without his constant talk of youth, so I got worried."

Tsunade hummed thoughtfully, "It  _would_  be a pity to have someone capable of teaching  _and_  using the Eight Gates to die a pointless death. He's obviously an asset to the village."

"It's easy enough to prevent." Orochimaru shrugged. "Remove the kids from the confrontation before it happens, and it'll work itself out. Dai is bound to the village grounds because of his status as a Genin anyway."

"That's true." Jiraiya agreed. It wouldn't take much to prevent his death if it came to that.  
  
The group fell into a thoughtful silence. Tsunade grimaced at the food but ate it anyway. She couldn't cook either, and neither could Orochimaru, so they had to either eat the shit Jiraiya prepared or starve. She doubted that Naruto would be willing to spare a clone a couple of hours a day to feed them. Maybe Minato would be able to do it? It wouldn't be hard to sell it as practice so he could make Naruto a romantic dinner. Tsunade mentally rubbed her hands together, _excellent._

A flood of memories rushed through Naruto's mind, and he slowly pushed himself up, "I've gotta go, but thanks for the information." He smiled faintly, "I'll talk to you guys later."

"Cuddle little Minato-chan from me!" Tsunade grinned from ear to ear and not as innocently as one might think.

* * *

 

Naruto quietly walked out of the house. Orochimaru made it seem so simple, so straightforward. But honestly, he wasn't even thinking that far into the future.

It was right here, and now that mattered. He was Gai's Academy instructor for the time being, and therefore he had an opportunity to make things better without having to play God. To do the right thing the right way.

What if he could mend their relationship? It was easy enough to tell that their father and son-bond was fragile and that it was the cause for Gai's lack of cheer. His father was just like how Gai used to be- or at least the one he remembered being.

However, Gai was still exceptional during taijutsu training, but it was the only place he allowed himself to shine. He wasn't stupid in any sense. His grades were above average, and his overall scores were good so far. He worked hard. The only problems he had was with ninjutsu and genjutsu, but due to his small amount of chakra, his control over what he had was already good, yet nowhere enough for techniques.

But Gai's future wasn't the problem. He knew how powerful Gai would grow to be in time.

The question was: What to do with Dai? If he was the man that trained Gai, then he was clearly more than capable of being a chunin despite his chakra coils. Lee wasn't capable of using more than an abysmal amount of chakra, and he'd made jounin just fine. Tsunade hadn't had any qualms about giving him a promotion after the war was finished.

Naruto opened the front gate of his and Minato's property, closed it, absently took hold of the two large boxes of Ramen, and opened the front door to their house with the use of his elbow.

It didn't seem fair that Lee could get a promotion while Dai couldn't. Maybe it was the lack of time and focus on the war that stopped it? Although that seemed far-fetched. Dai must have already been a Genin for a long time- arguably for the majority of his life. There was no way the Sandaime would have missed that.

"Naru?" The sound of Minato's voice reached his ears. It bounced against the walls of the house like music. A familiar mop of blond hair and blue eyes peeked into the hallway that led towards the front door only moments later.

The moment their eyes met; all thoughts left Naruto's mind, and his body turned a little warmer. "I'm back," Naruto said, a lopsided smile on his face.

"Welcome home." Minato leaned against the doorframe, his smile soft and his eyes filled with adoration as he looked at the teenager in front of him, a jounin that made his heart jump up and down and dance with joy. It hadn't been more than a couple of hours, but it felt like ages ago since they'd seen each other.

"I brought dinner." Naruto raised one of his hands to show off one of the boxes. When those words were said, the pleasant scent of pork broth and cooked noodles hit the air, and Minato's smile grew a little bigger. Dinner!

"I can take one." Minato offered and moved forward. However, once he was within reaching-distance a hand moved up and gently took hold of his chin, turning him slightly to the side as a pair of soft lips were pressed against his cheekbone. Minato's lips parted a fraction, eye-lids falling shut as he instinctively leaned into the loving touch.

Naruto absently put the box down before his fingers moved into Minato's hair and over the back his neck. Minato sighed softly, his hand finding Naruto's bicep before the two of them inevitably locked their lips together in a slow and perfect kiss.

"I've missed you..." Minato breathed against his partner's wet lips.

Naruto said nothing, merely pulled him closer and sealed their lips once more- albeit more firmly this time.

He'd missed Minato too. Somehow, he always did when they weren't by each others side- even for just a few hours.

Honestly, he was such a lost cause at this point. It was so pathetic... but he couldn't help it. Minato turned him into a romantic sap. All Minato had to do was look at him with those electric blue eyes if his, and he'd get weak in the knees. _Pathetic..._

When he first came to this time, he would have laughed people in the face if they said this was what awaited him. But now... now  _everything_  paled in comparison to Minato. The mission to save the future was still there, but it felt different.

Like he wasn't trying to save the world for his -not yet born- friends. But instead, because he wanted to give Minato a beautiful life. He wanted to see Minato grow old and to live-

His stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought. Minato wasn't going to die! He'd  **never**  allow it!

Minato felt himself get pressed even harder against Naruto body,  _not that he minded- mind you_ , but it made him a little worried. Nothing bad had happened, right?

Once Naruto finally pulled back and allowed Minato to get a better look at him; his worries disappeared. There was so much warmth and love in Naruto's eyes that it took his breath away.

"Dinner?" Naruto suggested, a small and sheepish smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It was probably cold at this point.

Minato grinned, "Dinner." And kissed him one more time.

* * *

 

In the living room was a large fluffy carpet, a dark grey sofa that could make _anyone_ fall asleep, and then, of course, the crown jewel of the room: the fireplace.

Naruto was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed over each other while they rested on the edge of the coffee table. In his hand was a book about fuinjutsu and its connection to the elements. It wasn't all that interesting, he had to admit, but it was something he needed for his project so he couldn't skip out on it.

Meanwhile, Minato read a book of his own. It was also a book about fuinjutsu, although this one was about the more advanced uses of the arts. It was something he had to learn if he wanted to advance to the next level. And unlike Naruto, he actually found it interesting.

Naruto's hands absently threaded through Minato's hair while the older of the two used Naruto's lap as a pillow.

It was a very typical sight. Due to their shared interest in the arts of fuinjutsu, they could be seen reading a lot(It kind of came with the subject). Which meant that a lot of their quality time was spend reading while in each other's personal space- like now. Somehow, if they weren't touching each other, it was difficult to remain focused on their books.

It was kind of stupid actually. But their incessant need to steal glances of each other was soothed by their current position. Head on a lap that is.

Besides, it  _was_  comfortable. And Minato had  _really_  soft hair... and Naruto's thighs were  _really_  nice to rest on.  
  
But despite the book in Naruto's hand, he just couldn't bring himself to focus on the words. His mind was preoccupied with thinking of Gai and Dai. The need to do something _, fix it,_ was driving him insane.   
  
_**'Either do something or quit thinking about it. You forget that I have to listen to your bullshit as well.'**_  Kurama growled, a highly irritated edge to his deep voice.  
  
_'But what can I do? I can't do much if I don't know everything.'_  He argued. The outline of an idea had already formed in his head, but he didn't know enough to work on it. Or do anything at all actually. It was all very frustrating.  
  
_**'Then find out everything and then do something!'**_  
  
' _...But that would mean I'd have to do something really illegal.'_  
**  
**_**'It's never stopped you before.'**_  Kurama snorted.  _ **'Talk to your wife, he'd be more than happy to join in on your idiocy.'**_  
  
Naruto rolled his eyes, _'Jeez, thanks.'_  
  
He let out a sigh, a tired and mildly frustrated one. This was going to require so much damn  _effort._  
  
"Is something wrong?" Minato lowered his book and raised his chin enough to look up at his partner.   
  
Naruto tilted his head, contemplating, "I've been thinking about something." He admitted hesitantly, "A problem, kind of. I _can_ find a solution to it...  _if_  I have all the information."  
  
"But you don't have it." Minato guessed, a knowing smile on his face. "So, I take it you want to get that information somehow?"  
  
"Yeah, and it's not exactly  _legal_." He continued awkwardly, scratching his temple. "More like,  **really**  illegal, actually."  
  
"I'll bite, what is it?" Minato grinned in a way only a mischevious fox would. Satoru would be proud.   
  
Naruto chuckled and ruffled his golden hair. "You won't sell me out if I tell you?" He teased.  
  
"Depends." Minato shrugged lightly, his voice equally as teasing, "Can I come along?" The jounin all but beamed.   
  
The former Kage chuckled, then laughed, "Times have really changed from when you got all nervous about painting the Hokage monument and filling Shikaku's room with pineapples." The younger Namikaze Minato would have looked utterly scandalized at the mere  _prospect_ of doing something _illegal._    
  
"It seems like your bad habits are rubbing off." Minato pushed himself up into a sitting position and scooted closer to his significant other, "What did you have in mind?"  
  
"You know how I told you about the argument between Gai and Dai-san?"  
  
Minato nodded.  
  
"Well, I thought it was weird. Gai's taijutsu is pretty exceptional at his age, right?" Minato blinked. Now that he thought about it- it  _was_  pretty great for his age. "It had me thinking of who could have trained him. The only explanation I can think of is his father. It wouldn't be so strange. But what _is_ strange-"  
  
"-is that he's still a genin if he's skilled enough to train Gai to that level of taijutsu." Minato's eyes widened a fraction. It  _was_  strange. Dai was a Career Genin if Naruto was to be believed- which he  **definitely** was. "Why  _is_  he a Genin?"  
  
Naruto furrowed his brows slightly, "From what I've been able to gather so far; Dai isn't able to use his chakra. Most likely due to a birth defect of some sort. But that shouldn't be enough to hold him back from ranking up. If you think about it; Samurai rarely uses chakra aside from when they coat their swords with it. And even if they didn't, they'd still be a force to be reckoned with." He shook his head as he looked towards the window. It was getting dark outside. "Something else has got to be holding him back."  
  
"And the only way to find out for certain what that is-" Minato realized.  
  
"-is by reading his file-"  
  
"-in the restricted archives," The shorter jounin smirked.  
  
Naruto smiled, leaning forward a little, "How about a late-night stroll?" He suggested lightly.  
  
Minato leaned forward as well, whispering, "That almost sounds like a  _date._ "   
  
"Would you, Namikaze  _Mina-chan_ ," Naruto whispered dramatically, "join me on this illegal escapade to uncover the truth about why one of our student's parents are still painting fences and walking dogs on a daily basis?"   
  
" _Only_ if it's a date!" Minato narrowed his eyes into small slits, daring him to call it otherwise.  
  
"You strike a hard bargain." Naruto frowned, "I suppose this could be our first unofficial date."  
  
" _'Unofficial'_?" Minato raised a single brow, amused.  
  
"I've already got plans for our first official date, so I don't want something underwhelming like this to hog the title _._ "  
  
"Really? What's our first date going to be?" His eyelashes fluttered innocently, and Naruto snorted.  
  
"Nice try."

* * *

  
  
"Have I ever told you that my ideas are usually bad?"  
  
"No, but I figured that out pretty quickly myself."  
  
"I honestly forgot how many guards they have in this place."  
  
"... It seems like that would be pretty relevant to know in a plan such as this. What- What is our plan again?"  
  
"Get into the archive and sock anyone who sees us."  
  
Minato turned and just stared at his partner. " _What._ "  
  
"Sock 'em," Naruto repeated and nodded- in full agreement with his own master plan. A plan that had a surprisingly small amount of, you know, **an actual plan**.  
  
"You're going to knock people out if they see you?"  
  
"See  _me?_  What about  _you?"_  Naruto frowned at his partner, "You say that like _I'm_ the one that'll get caught."  
  
Minato's expression was entirely flat, and Naruto puffed his cheeks up in offense.  
  
"I won't get caught,  _you_  will!" He shot back fiercely, sending Minato a small glare as he stepped forward.   
  
Like he'd **ever**  get caught.  ** _As if!_**  
  
Naruto slipped around the corner of the dark hallway and walked straight into a tall and broad chest.  
  
**Silence.**  
  
Minato mentally face-palmed and Naruto brought his hand up and drove it straight into the face of the unfortunate soul who'd appeared at the wrong place at the wrong time.   
  
Taketa instantly saw stars and promptly fell to the floor, murmuring something about mothers and pixies in a string of incoherent words.  
  
"You hit Taketa!" Minato gasped as he rushed forward in a fit of panicked. "He's the head of TI!"  
  
"It's not my fault he appeared out of nowhere!" Naruto argued, only  _slightly_  worried. Taketa's head was pretty hard. "And he looks _fine._ "  
  
"He's talking about fairies!" Minato shot back, "And--HIIIIIIIIYA!"  
  
"What!?" Naruto leaped forward.  
  
"He touched my ass!" The shorter jounin all but shrieked.  
  
"Hit him!" Naruto growled. It didn't matter who it was, _ **nobody touched his Mina!**_  
  
Minato clenched his fist and delivered a bone-crushing punch straight into the face of the already delirious head of TI. The man groaned, but only a little- and then he giggled lecherously.  
  
"Holy  _crap,_  you broke his freaking _nose!"_  Naruto sucked in a shocked breath before he quickly moved to wrap an arm around Minato's waist in an effort to separate the two. Taketa's hold was pretty firm though.  
  
"He touched me!" Minato protested, flailing his limbs and making sure to kick the man before he was out of reach.  
  
"Why'd you kick him?!" Naruto hissed, their hands interlocked as they sped down the hallway- which was surprisingly empty. Somehow.  
  
"He  _touched_  me!"  
  
"Fine, just- don't break anything else."  
  
"If I see him again _ **, I'll grind his bones to dust!**_ " Minato growled darkly, sending a chill down Naruto's spine.  
  
"I-it's fine, Mina-chan!" A bead of sweat rolled down his temple, "Don't be angry, alright?"

Minato's positively murderous expression turned to Naruto, " _ **I'm not angry.**_ "  
  
"O-O-O-Of course not!"

* * *

 

The two of them slipped into the archives, and Naruto's knees gave out- sending him to the floor as he panted for air. "I think," He swallowed thickly, "That was my worst idea to date."  
  
Minato snorted despite his labored breathing, "And you keep on out-doing yourself."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment." Naruto dragged himself towards one of the shelves in search of the Genin section. It had to be around here somewhere. There was no way in hell he'd just gone through that whole damn disaster only to come up with nothing.  
  
"If that makes you happy." Minato couldn't help but roll his eyes.  
  
"Don't be so cheeky, Mina-chan." Naruto looked over his shoulder, "At least now you know someone besides Sayuki and me who finds you attractive."  
  
Even when the giant box of documents hit him on the head, Naruto still couldn't bring himself to regret a thing.   
  
"You're lucky I practically worship the ground you walk on," Minato muttered darkly, "Otherwise I'd turn you into soup."  
  
Naruto smirked, sending a kiss across the room before he turned back to the documents on the shelf. "You’re cute when you're angry."  
  
Minato pouted... and blushed.   
  
It didn't take very long for Naruto to find Dai's genin folder. It was surprisingly thick for a mere genin.   
  
"Found it." His eyes moved across the first page, noting nothing of interest. The second page was the same, and the third and fourth and fifth. It was on the sixth page that he started noticing a pattern.  
  
Minato walked up to him, looking over his shoulder while Naruto frowned. "Did you find anything?"  
  
"He fails a lot of missions. Simple stuff too... Like walking dogs."  
  
How did you even fail in walking a bloody dog!? You literally just held the damn leash and waiting until the thing pooped itself.   
  
"Does it say why?"  
  
He shook his head, "No, not that I can see. It's weird though... There's a failure ratio of almost seventy percents. There are countless complaints about poorly done missions as well. It doesn't make any sense."  
  
"Naru..." Minato wrapped his arms around Naruto's body, hugging him from behind, "Maybe he's just not cut out to be a shinobi?" He said gently, not wanting to be the bringer of bad news.  
  
But Naruto didn't buy it.  _No... it doesn't make any sense._  
  
"There's more to this." Naruto disagreed. "And I intend to find out what it is."  
  
He closed the folder, putting back into place. There was definitely something strange about this. The question was: What could it be?  
  
The sound of footsteps outside of the door halted his train of thought, and he quickly took hold of Minato's hand, placing his palm underneath a shelf before turning to his partner, "In case we need to get back here. I'd rather not go through that shit again."  
  
Minato nodded, placing a Hiraishin seal on the dark wood before the two of them disappeared in a bright yellow flash.   
  
Right before Taketa opened the door, blinked, shrugged and closed it again.  
  
Maybe he was losing his mind? It wouldn't be the first time.

 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I'm not coming back out until Friday*


	62. Do as I say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit late, I know. But I had a really good reason! I've been mulling over how to write this the best way, and it took longer than I expected to get it right. I tried to write a bit every day, but it just didn't turn out the way I wanted. SO! I re-wrote the damn thing a couple of times. Rip.
> 
> Oooh, and I sullied by soul and posted my Mina/Naru One-shot on FFN. I feel defiled. Dirty. (_　_|||) I've been thinking of posting the first couple of chapters of TYD on FFN too- to draw in a couple of more readers to AO3, but I seriously need to edit the chapters first. Plz halp. Beta! *weeps* Rosy!
> 
> And a big shoutout to Ell!! *Waves hysterically* Whose awesome skills have brought Shimpei Taketa to life! Don't forget to check out the awesome new fanart at the bottom of the chapter!
> 
> Enjoy my minions!

It was a beautiful day in Konoha. A seemingly ordinary one as well. The sky was clear, and the clouds hid from view. The sun was shining brightly over the village, and the sound of laughing children rang through the air around the Academy grounds. Overall, one could almost say that it was a perfect day.

Naruto could be seen standing by the entrance to the Academy, a list in his hand as he marked down all the kids going home for the day, but also to make sure to remind them about their homework which they tended to  _'lose'_  on a daily basis. Which was complete and utter bullshit, but who hadn't been there before? It's not like he wasn't the master of the _'A dog ate my homework'_ -excuse. Obito was quickly catching up with him though.  _'Anbu confiscated it'_  was Naruto's personal favourite. He was pretty sure that Anbu didn't give a shit about second and third-grade math equations.

Meanwhile, Minato stood by the gates of the Academy. He was talking to the numerous parents who wanted to exchange a few words with the ones in charge of their children. These days, it was mostly praise. Praise which Minato accepted with a sheepish smile and a nervous laugh. Their work in the Academy hardly felt worthy of such things. But it would seem that their students had taken a liking to them, and thus held nothing back as they spoke to their parents of their days.

Minato and Naruto could only pray that it wasn't anything too exaggerated. Especially from Obito. The boy had a rather bad habit of exaggerating everything.

Like,  **everything**.

Usually, Naruto would have been right on Minato's side as the parents asked about their kids and how they did in school. To support him. Of course. But today he had another mission.

After their epic failure of a stealth mission in the TI archives, the two of them concluded that some proper recon was in order. The only way to find out what was going on with Dai and Gai would be to follow them.

_Or stalk them_... until they had their answers.

Naruto allowed his blue gaze to move over the names on his class list. There was only one name left on the list: Maito Gai. Now that he thought about it, it was always like this.

Of course, he'd noticed it before, but now it was so glaringly obvious that it raised more than one warning flag at the strange behaviour.

Either Gai didn't want to go home... or he didn't want anyone to see him together with his father who insisted on picking him up after school. A person of whom stood by the fence and looked around with searching eyes in the hope of spotting his son.

Naruto's stomach twisted at the sight. Gai didn't know how lucky he was to have a father in the first place. Orphans were far too common in their line of work, and having a parent alive was rare if you came from shinobi families. To actually see how Gai's relationship with his father had been... it felt wrong. Perhaps it was naive of him, but Naruto had always had a strange sort of preconceived image of Gai's father being a splitting image of his son, that the two of them would have had the epitome of an ideal father-son relationship if they'd been able.

It couldn't have been further from the truth. Sometimes, just  _sometimes_ , it would've been nice if the world didn't kick you in the nuts, ya' know?

Gai had been a man who inspired him when he was young. No matter what people thought of his strange exclamations of youth and his constant desire for challenges- the man had been far more clever than people gave him credit. Behind his seemingly useless words lay wisdom and hidden meanings. Things, to Naruto's shame, he hadn't noticed until he became much older.

However, Gai's dedication to hard work and his constant optimism was what truly amazed him. Gai was a person who was unique in every sense of the word and frankly, he missed him.

Naruto's train of thought came to a pause when Gai himself stepped out of the Academy building, warily looking around himself to make sure his classmates had left already. His eyes found his fathers, and the boy tensed- jaw clenching before he walked towards Dai with resigned steps, eyes to the ground.

Naruto frowned ever so slightly. He had some serious work to do.  
  


* * *

 

Dai's fingers dug into the gravel of the street; eyes clenched shut and his forehead drawing blood from pressing it too firmly into the ground. "I'm terribly sorry for my unyouthful mistake!"

It wasn't his intention to lose their dog.

"Enough of your nonsense." The father, Yuuro Omura, hissed furiously while he held a small five-year-old girl in his arms- his daughter Mokona that was sobbing at the loss of her loyal friend. The fluffy brown dog had been hers... and now it was gone. "I should have known the moment I saw you that it was a bad idea to trust you with anything of importance! You're not fit to be a shinobi, and now you've ruined my daughters birthday to boot. I hope you're happy with yourself." The man growled, holding his crying daughter closer to his chest, "Get out of my sight before I do something I'll regret! And be sure that Hokage-sama will hear of this. Mark my words!"

The family of two turned around and walked away, but Dai remained on the ground, his fingers trembling partly due to his horrible guilt- but also because of his aching muscles.

The mission had gone just fine until the dog had caught wind of a stray cat and decided to chase after it. Dai tried to hold the leash, but his muscles had given out, and he'd fallen to the ground. By the time he collected himself enough to stand back up again- the dog was gone, and he'd failed yet another mission.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Minato watched the man with a mixture of disappointment and anger. From following the man around for an entire day, Minato had discovered a bunch of things;

One: Maito Dai wasn't a bad person. If anything, the man had a heart of gold and his personality was something to admire. He smiled at everyone. Heartily shouting ' _Hello's_ ' and ' _Have a nice day!_ ' from morning all the way to the afternoon.

Two: His mistakes weren't intentional. But he failed more missions than he completed regardless.

Three: Gai avoided being seen with him no matter where they were. It didn't matter if there were people close by or not. Gai was embarrassed by his father to such a degree that he'd rather not be seen together with him at all.

Then, lastly, but most importantly: Maito Dai didn't take his missions seriously, which was also why Minato was so angry with him. His disappointment stemmed from the fact that Dai's priorities were so backwards that his own son had fallen to the side in the process.

Naruto had noticed it first; that Dai's muscles spasmed continuously throughout the day. It was a very common result after one strained their muscles too much without proper rest in between training sessions. It was also something shinobi learned not to do while still in the Academy. Training was necessary, but missions took precedence at all times. The success of a mission was far more important than squeezing in a couple of extra hours of training each day.

It was beyond irresponsible for a shinobi to act this way. To jeopardise a mission, no matter what rank it was, was not something you did without receiving a considerable amount of backlash for it. Not to mention, the reason for his constant failures were entirely his own fault. If he took care of himself, trained the same way as everyone else did, then he wouldn't have such a horrible track record right now.

Frankly, it wasn't that big of a surprise that Maito Dai had remained a mere genin for this long if this was what he continued to do.  


* * *

 

Naruto dropped down in an alley, right between an angry cat and a scared dog, "Oh, the irony." He chuckled, before turning around and picking the dog up in his arms, "Come on little guy, let's get you back to your owners."

Said dog had no issues with leaving that terrifying confrontation behind and happily curled up into a ball in Naruto's arms.

He channelled a small amount of chakra into his feet and pushed himself up and into the air- allowing him to reach the rooftops with ease. The moment his feet touched the tiles- a Hyuuga passed by, giving him a polite nod of acknowledgement before continuing onwards and towards the east side of the village. It wasn't uncommon to see Naruto carrying out menial D-ranks with all his clones these days. Pretty much everyone had encountered the blond at one point or another since he still did missions with his clones.

However, Naruto's attention quickly moved from the passing Hyuuga to the streets as he searched for the angry father and the little birthday girl.

It took almost ten minutes to find them. Their chakra signatures weren't that noticeable in the sea of people in the market.

With a final burst of chakra, Naruto leapt through the air and dropped down a couple of feet away from the man and his daughter.

Omura paused, startled by the sudden appearance, but his surprise quickly turned to relief and joy when he noticed who it was and what the young man was holding.

"Uzumaki-san!" He called, pleasantly surprised.

"Ran-chan!" Mokona wiggled herself out of her fathers hold and dashed towards the shinobi who crouched down, gently letting the dog back onto the ground.

Naruto smiled, "I found this little guy in an alley with a really angry cat, so I decided to rescue him. I take it he's yours?"

The girl beamed, her arms already wrapped around the dog as it wagged it's tail back and forth in excitement. "Ran-chan is my best friend! Thank you shinobi-san!"

Naruto placed a hand on her head and then moved it onto the dogs- ruffling its fur for a moment before he turned his attention towards Omura and rose to his feet. "I'm sorry for the trouble he caused you." Who ' _he_ ' was remained unsaid but understood anyway. "I hope it won't prevent you from conducting business with us in the future."

The man waved off his concern, "I've hired shinobi several times in the past, and I can't say I've experienced something like this before. But you needn't worry about it." Omura reassured, simply grateful for having Mokona happy again. But even so, "I have to ask," The man continued, a little hesitant, "This Maito Dai-"

"Will be spoken to," Naruto assured without hesitation. "Personally, if I have to."

A relieved sigh escaped him as he looked down at his smiling and giggling daughter, "That's all I wanted to hear."  
  


* * *

 

Naruto silently dropped down next to Minato. The two of them were hidden in the foliage of the forest while they observed Maito Dai go through his daily training session with fierce determination.

"So he's doing this every day then," Naruto concluded, and Minato frowned at the prospect of that being true.

"I never thought I'd say this, but there _is_  such a thing as  _'too much training!'_ " Minato clenched his fists, "How can a Konoha shinobi with a good conscious disregard the duties he's sworn to uphold because of simple  _training?_ "

"I don't think it's that simple, Mina," Naruto said softly as the older teenager turned slightly towards him, a question in his eyes. "There's more to this than that."

Dai ignored his screaming muscles and repeated his kata again and again. He could feel it, the way he got closer and closer to his goal with each day that passed. Soon,  _soon_  he'd master the Eight Gates, and then Gai wouldn't have to avoid him anymore and think him so useless!

He might be a failure at being a shinobi, but he would be a master of  _something_ , that he swore!

Minato furrowed his brows in the distance, "I've never seen that style before." He realised.

Naruto watched the man grimly, "That's the Eight Gates technique. The entire style is focused around unlocking your Eight Inner Gates- to push past your physical limits to the extreme, and to gain a boost in power that can surpass a Kage."

" _What?_ " Minato whipped his head around, staring in bewilderment at his partner, "Are you serious?"

"It's a rare ability to have, and not everyone can do it. It's incredibly powerful, but the price for that strength is a body damaged beyond repair." He thought of Lee and the way he'd spent months upon month of going through rehab after using that same technique _far_  too often for his own good. "From what I understand; you can unlock the first three Gates without tearing your muscles and bones apart. After that, your body will begin to deteriorate. If you open the last Gate, you could technically battle a Bijuu on your own... until your heart gives out and you crumble to ash and die. You'd more or less cooking yourself from the inside-out." Naruto then sighed, "But this explains why he's so physically weak as to let a small dog get the better of him. He's not getting any rest, and if he's training the Eight Gates, then he's driving his body through hell on a daily basis. It's no wonder he can't finish his missions like this."

Minato tried not to think too carefully about why Naruto knew all those things, and instead focused on what that truly mattered.

Dai overworked his body, and he was most likely in a lot of pain as well. His training with the Eight Inner Gates was far too frequent to allow any rest or proper healing to occur. At the rate he was going... he already had a foot in the grave.

"I've seen enough." Naruto suddenly decided, his eyes a little bit darker than usual, "Wait here for me, alright?"

Minato blinked and mutely nodded.

Naruto jumped down from the thick tree branch; landing soundlessly on the grass as he began to make his way towards the Genin who had yet to notice him.

Once upon a time he would have shouted and called the man an idiot for what he'd done(or not done), but with age, those impulses were mostly reeled in.  _Thankfully._  It would have caused international incidents if he yelled and called fellow Kage's morons for not agreeing with his opinions back then. Not that the impulses hadn't been there, but what could you do?

Naruto cleared his throat loudly, hands in his pockets and a tiny slouch to his shoulders. Honestly, he felt a little like Kakashi-sensei.

Dai instantly turned around, taking a step back in surprise at the jounin who'd appeared from out of nowhere.

_Had he seen...?_

"Yo."

Dai forced a smile, a smile that was far too bright but blinding enough for people to overlook it. "Why hello there! I don't believe we've met before, jounin-san! Can I help you with anything?" But he knew who the teenager was. There was not a person inside of Konoha who hadn't heard of Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's Yellow Maelstrom. A young man who'd caused his enemies to tremble in fear at the age of nine during the battle of Uzushio.

Uzumaki Naruto was everything he wasn't; successful, renowned, talented, a prodigy, powerful... liked...

"I don't think we have, but I've seen you around." Naruto allowed, eyes slowly moving up and down the man's body- noting how Dai's muscles tensed in his presence and the uncontrollable spasms that followed. "And yes, you can help me." He raised a single brow.

If Dai's hand trembled nervously, then Naruto didn't acknowledge it. Instead, he took a couple of steps forward, slowly walking around the man with seemingly no destination in mind.

Maito Dai may be a Genin, but he wasn't stupid. The way Naruto moved, drawing closer and making him feel vulnerable and small- it was intimidation tactics at their finest. And they were working too. Needless to say, Naruto had his undivided attention.

But he'd never been confronted like this before; by a jounin in the top tier. He really had messed up on his mission if they sent someone like Naruto to give him an earful. Naruto's name held influence and power on its own. The two of them were like night and day- living in two different worlds in terms of strength and missions.

"Maybe you weren't aware, but I'm currently your son's homeroom teacher," Naruto informed, much to the older man's confusion, "He's a great kid, Gai-kun."

"Why yes, Gai is a most youthful boy." His voice was full of false cheer along with a sliver of caution.

Why was he talking about Gai and not his most recent mission? He  _was_  here to lecture him, right...?

"He's good at most things when he tries," Naruto continued, "but he has a special talent for taijutsu. A real master in the making, no doubt." Dai's lips parted in shock. A taijutsu  _master?_  "However, he won't tell me where he learned such impressive techniques from." Naruto raised an unimpressed brow at the man, "Would you care to explain why he'd lie about you?"

Dai was confused. Was Naruto there for him or Gai? "We have a few problems... right now. Nothing serious though." He said hesitantly, not sure where he was going with this.

Naruto hummed, watching the man with scrutinizing eyes that practically tore the man apart piece by piece. "I disagree."

"Sorry?"

"I said; 'I disagree.'" Naruto repeated, "I wouldn't call arguments in the middle of the street 'not serious' just I wouldn't call a failure ratio of seventy percent 'not serious.' What exactly isn't  _serious,_  Maito Dai-san?"

The man's eyes widened.

But Naruto didn't wait for him to answer, "See, I was walking in the market today, and I couldn't help but notice a man- who looks very much like yourself- fall over and lose a small brown dog. Naturally, I caught it before anything bad happened and returned it to its owners, but I can't help but question why a shinobi, such as yourself, would lose a  _dog on a leash._ " His eyes turned a little darker, a cold edge to them, "You're a shinobi, are you not? You've never been on a mission above D-rank, and yet you've failed seventy percent of all the missions you've accepted. Correct me if I'm wrong, but D-ranks are mostly civilian chores, is it not?"

Dai swallowed audibly, "Y-Yes, they are, Uzumaki-san." Somehow, he preferred when civilians and chunin shouted at him compared to this. This stuff was _terrifying._ _Jounin_ were terrifying!

_"_ Gai-kun's behaviour had me worried, so I decided to look into it and see if I could find the reason why he acts so strange at times. And then I find  _this_." His gaze moved up and down the man's body, judging him, "I do believe I've found my answers too. Though I can't say I'm all that happy about what I've discovered. Do you want to know what I've discovered, Dai-san?"  
  
This time Dai chose to remain silent, already feeling himself sink deeper into the ground with each word the young jounin spoke.   
  
Indeed, this was way worse than he'd anticipated.   
  
"The moment you received  _that,_ " Naruto pointed at the man's headband, "You became a shinobi of Konoha.  As such, you took an oath to protect and serve this village and to help it prosper. Due to your continuous inability to complete your missions, the overall ratio of failed missions in the village as a whole has increased. In short, you're giving Konoha shinobi a bad reputation, and because of that, we lose clients. Our economy suffers. Do you understand this?"  
  
Dai's eyes were firmly on the ground, "Yes, Uzumaki-san."  
  
"Mission failures happen. Some things can't be helped." Naruto admitted, "Shit goes wrong, and then there are situations which we can't influence ourselves. But this isn't a case like that. These failures are your own fault and also  _your_  responsibility. The moment you accept a mission, you become a representative of the Hokage and Konoha as a whole. It's your duty as a Konoha shinobi to perform and fulfill the requirements of an accepted mission."  
  
"I understand." The man said quietly, bowing his head in shame.  


"Do you? Because if you did, then why the hell are you training and damaging your own body to the point where you can't even hold a bloody dog leash?  _Dai,_ " His voice forced the man to look up, dark eyes screaming with regret, guilt, and shame. "You're failing  _D-ranks_ ," Naruto said softly, almost kindly, "You're a shinobi. Not a civilian. D-ranks are  _chores_  that civilians pay others to do-  _us_. You have a responsibility, not just to this village, but to yourself  _and_  your son."  
  
Naruto shook his head at the whole situation. He felt like he was scolding one of his own subordinates. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel bad for the man. However, things had to change.   
  
"From now on, you're only allowed to train once a week for three hours for the next four months." Dai's eyes widened, and he took a step forward- a protest on the tip of his tongue. But Naruto fixed his with a hard look, "I'm your superior and as of right now-  _you **will**  do as I say!_ I understand the desire to train and to grow stronger, but you're only hurting yourself and everyone around you. Just look at your son! He can't stand the sight of you because you represent something he never wants to become. He works harder than most in the Academy, and he's dedicated to his dream of becoming a shinobi. But you, his _father_ , neglect his own duties to the point where your fellow comrades get frustrated and angry with you."  
  
Naruto walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Dai-san," He looked into a pair of shiny charcoal-coloured eyes, "I know you can do better than this. I can see how determined and dedicated you are to your taijutsu- how much you love Gai-kun. I admire that about you, but you have to look at the bigger picture from now on. You've been a Genin for a long time, and you're going to remain that way if you don't change the way you handle your duties. At worst, Hokage-sama will take away your headband... and I don't know about you, but I think that would crush Gai-kun. He loves you, but he needs someone he can look up to, and that person is you. It  _has_  to be you."  
  
A small smile formed on Naruto's lips as a tear rolled down Dai's cheek, "If you can get yourself back together and give Gai-kun the father he knows you can be, then I might be able to help out with that promotion of yours. Perhaps even get you a job that would be right up your alley."  
  
"I-I- Thank you!" The man took a quick step back and bowed to the waist, his arms pressed to the sides of his body as he tried not to openly sob.   
  
"Remember, no training. You've got something great going here, and you'll definitely reach your goal. Perhaps you'll even be able to pass it down to Gai-kun when he's old enough, so don't rush it. You already have a taijutsu on par with jounin so cut yourself some slack." He backed away and turned around, "Now, go home and spend time with your son. He misses his father."  
  
"I will!"  


* * *

  
  
"You know," Hiruzen took a long draw of his pipe, "I expected you to come up with a couple of clever ideas to improve the Academy's teaching methods... Not to introduce a new shinobi rank into my village." He said mildly, eyes moving from the thorough document that Naruto had provided and to the person in question.  
  
Meanwhile, Minato was pretty much speechless and staring at his partner in a mixture of awe and irritation from having been left out of the loop this entire time. He'd get him for that.  
  
"There are too many people whose unique abilities never receive proper acknowledgement because of the lack of others." Naruto stated, "This will allow them to advance and to enter proper departments depending on their specialty. It will give them the tools and resources they need to continue to develop as shinobi and individuals. The number of people who drop out of the force entirely will decrease dramatically if we can give them an alternative like this. You may very well see some older Genin return if you provide them with the option to do so."  
  
Hiruzen's large white Hokage hat covered a portion of his face, "You've done a good job, Naruto, Minato. I will go through this more thoroughly, and then I'll make my decision."  
  
"Hokage-sama." The two blonds bowed.  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
They disappeared in a bright yellow flash and the moment they did- the professor burst out into hysterical laughter that lasted for a good five minutes.   
  
Once he settled down, he grinned and eyed the paper once again.  
  
"Tokubetsu Chunin, huh?"

 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By Ell**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never understood why Tokubetsu Chunin wasn't in canon. I FIXED THAT, SEE!


	63. Sourpuss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been looking forward to this one for a while now. I just haven't had much time lately- been super busy at uni~
> 
> But here it is. It's also longer than my usual 4k word chapters. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Kakashi was conflicted. On the one hand, he was happy it was over. But on the other, he felt a bit sad about it too. Despite it being a glorified babysitting mission, he'd had a lot of fun.  _Surprisingly._

His attention fell to Naruto and Minato as the two of them stood in front of the whole class with a long line of children before them. All of which waited for their turn to hand the two jounin the small gifts that they'd made.

Kakashi had never actually seen jounin who was this popular with kids before. It might have been a mission for him, but he'd learned a lot from just assisting the two of them. Things he didn't learn when he was in the Academy.

If nothing else, he'd learned on what level his old classmates were and that, perhaps, some of them weren't  _entirely_  annoying.

Asuma was alright. Genma was probably the one he could stand the most, and Obito was still an idiot- right behind the loud and  _'youthful'_ Gai. Why the strange kid had suddenly started shouting about youth and the will to  _'never give up'_ he'd much rather not know. But Naruto seemed happy about the change in his behaviour, so he didn't comment.

Overall; he supposed it wasn't a _complete_  waste of time.

And the money was good.

 

* * *

 

Minato glanced at his partner, a smile on his lips as he watched him awkwardly hug the many kids who wanted to say their goodbyes.

His attention moved to Genma as Naruto crouched down and placed a hand on the boy's head.

He'd noticed over their four weeks in the Academy that Naruto had a soft spot for a few of them, Genma being on the top of that list. Most likely because he saw someone more than Genma when he looked at him, but one couldn't be sure.

"Thanks for helping me with my training." Genma smiled, the same lopsided and half-smirk smile he always seemed to have on his face these days.

"It's what we're here for," Naruto ruffled the boy's brown hair, "Don't be a stranger Genma-kun."

Genma's arms moved around the young man's neck, and he hugged him tightly before he let go and stepped to the side, allowing the rest of his classmates to say their 'Goodbyes' as well.

Out of all the jounin and chunin teachers; he liked Naruto and Minato the best. Although, he preferred Naruto a  _tiny_  bit more than Minato. But they were both nice, and it was easy to learn thing things from them. They made school fun.

After Genma was Obito.

A shy Obito stood before the two jounin, one of his feet moving from side to side on the wooden floor, his hands behind his back, and his gaze firmly set on the floor.

Minato chuckled, "What do you have there, Obito-kun?"

Slowly, and fairly adorable, Obito revealed what he had behind his back. It was a drawing which he'd made himself.

Naruto blinked, and Minato's smile turned even bigger- a full-blown grin at this point.

"I made this for you." Obito handed the picture to the two of them, a blush dusting his cheeks.

Naruto took hold of it, flipping it around so they could see what it was.

_**'That's messed up.'**_ Kurama shuddered, promptly turning around to pretend he wasn't part of the sappy display of affection. He was the damn  _Kyuubi_ and the  _bijuu_ with the most powerful host and partner of all time! He did not care for snotty children and their colourful pictures of a young boy's dream of being Hokage and-  _ **'I need to kill something.'**_

Minato felt his heartstring tug pleasantly as his eyed the picture of Obito standing on top of the Hokage building with the two of them at the back- waving with a smile, "This is amazing, Obito-kun!" He'd never gotten a drawn picture before.

Naruto smiled as well, a smile that was  _mostly_  genuine. He'd be a liar to say that the irony of the picture didn't tempt him to flinch.

Then again, he mentally sighed, Obito was very much like himself when he was young.

Big dreams for a small boy.

"Work hard, Obito-kun. It's a big dream you've got here." He said in the end.

Obito himself grinned, all sunshine and confidence, "I'll definitely become Hokage someday!"

And with that; he grandly walked away as his classmates rolled their eyes at his silly dream.

Then again, anyone who said they wanted to be Hokage was deemed silly most of the time.

 

* * *

 

Kakashi stared at the grinning fools in front of him, to the gifts they'd shoved into his arms, and then back up again.

"I don't like sweets." He stated dryly.

"That's alright." Genma smirked as the grins of the other students grew even wider, "We picked out some bitter and sour candy as well. Thought it would suit a sourpuss like you."

Now, if he didn't know for a fact that his teammates were watching him from a distance, then he would have thrown everything back at them and declared them idiots for all eternity.

But as it was; Naruto and Minato  _were_  looking at him and carried gifts of their own. It would be seen as bad manners if he acted disrespectfully and showed his true feelings like that.

So instead he smiled behind his mask, his eyes turning into a crescent moon shape, "I'm putting dog crap in all of your beds when you least expect it."

 

* * *

 

Naruto and Minato closed the door behind them, letting out a collective sigh. Finally home. It was finally over.

The debrief with the Hokage was surprisingly quick, and Naruto had a sneaking suspicion that he'd been spying on them most of the time since he didn't seem all that concerned with the lack of detail.

But overall, the mission went well. Minato was a hit with the girls while Naruto seemed to gain all the boy's attention without as much as trying.

He'd overheard Obito once(not that it was very difficult when he shouted so loudly) when he'd exclaimed that  _'Naruto-sensei is so cool!'._ It was one of the rare moments in which his classmates agreed with him on something.

It made Naruto feel surprisingly smug too, especially when Minato's adoration came from the girls who called him 'pretty'.

Granted, none of them had actually seen Minato in combat because Naruto could safely attest to the fact that Minato was a certified **badass.**

...Even if he  _was_  pretty.

"I'm not sure if I'm tired or if I just need to sit down for a while." Minato sighed. Being in charge of so many kids for such a long time felt kind of like being in the orphanage again. Except these kids could kick each other's ass and take names and they were, overall, way more deadly.

His partner chuckled.

Naruto used his only free arm and draped it over his shoulders, "Well, I hope you're not tired." His fingers took a gentle hold of Minato's chin, turning him a little to the side so they faced each other, "Because I'm taking you out on a date today."

....

...

**Date!?**

**YES!** "I'm not tired!" Minato assured a little too quickly, his blue eyes practically _sparkling._

Naruto smirked, "That's good. Because my clones have been working since this morning to set everything up." He drew a little closer and smiled, placing a feathery kiss on Minato's cheekbone. "And your bath is ready."

Minato's heart pounded in his chest as his cheeks prickled in a blush, "You spoil me too much, Naru. How am I supposed to make it up to you if you keep doing that?"

Naruto stepped behind him, his hot breath tickling the skin of Minato's neck, "Civilian clothes." He whispered in his ear, ignoring the blonds question. "Don't make me wait for too long, Mina-chan." His arm slowly snaked around Minato's body, drawing him closer to his chest as he took his time to explore him with his hand. Slowly moving it across his chest and abdomen. 

Alluring lips then pressed against the warm and smooth skin of Minato's neck, his eyelids falling shut while Naruto used his teeth to playfully nibble at the side of his neck. A soft moan slipped past Minato's control, melting into the chest of his partner as anticipation began to grow.   
  
He loved when Naruto held him like this.

But as if the sound of Minato's sweet voice reminded Naruto of something; he paused.

He chuckled, "Your bath will get cold." The former Kage smirked and slowly slipped a few of his finger underneath the hem of Minato's pants.

Minato's breath got caught in his throat, but... nothing happened.

Naruto withdrew his hand again and grinned mischievously, placing a humoured kiss on the back of Minato's head, "That's the first clue."

Then he was gone in a puff of chakra smoke.

Minato blinked rapidly, the blood rushing to his groin veering to the side at the last second and straight to his feet.

Slowly, ever slowly, he looked down... only to see a note tucked between the hem of his pants.

_"What."_

If sexual frustration, disappointment, irritation and betrayal had a sound;  _that_  would be it.

 

* * *

 

  
Naruto felt pretty smug as he took his time to walk through the streets of Konoha.

Minato was so cute. He'd probably be throwing a fit by now, mope in the bath, finally read the clue, have his interest spark once more and then he'd be the lively ball of sunshine he always was.

His only regret was that he wouldn't be able to be there and watch when it happened.

 

* * *

 

Naruto was indeed correct.

Minato muttered a string of incoherent words(probably for the best) as he stomped up the stairs. During the way up he took the small note in his hand, crumbled it up and pointedly tossed it into the hallway in front of him. He continued, frowning at the walls and the tingling in his abdomen right before bending down to snatch the paper-ball back up and shove it into his pocket as he entered the bathroom.

"Naru is so  _mean_  to me." He grumbled and tried his best to ignore the lovely scent of vanilla in the room. Along with the red rose petals on the floor and in the milky white water, the heart-shaped chocolates on a beautiful saucer, the cup of steaming matcha next to the bath... and the small gift wrapped up in yellow paper with a red bow on it.

Moments later, Minato sank down into the water with crocodile tears rolling down his cheeks, the cup of steaming matcha in one hand and a piece of chocolate in the other.

_He'd get him for this!_  ...After he finished his chocolates.

 

* * *

 

Comfortable like a cat before a warm and cosy fire, Minato smiled contently and hummed to himself. The matcha had been delicious and the chocolates even more so.

Man, he loved Naruto.

With that thought in mind, he opened his eyes and glanced at the small and wrapped up gift. At the same time, he leaned over the edge of the bath, his hand slipping into the pocket of his pants and pulling out the crumpled piece of paper he'd basically murdered.

Whoops?

He leaned back while he took his time to unravel the paper-ball.

On the paper was a riddle:

_'I am what I am, but I don't look like I am - What am I?'_

His brows furrowed in thought for a long moment, but Minato's drew a blank, completely lost to what it could mean.

" _'I am what I am... but I don't look like am... what am I?'_  But that could be anything though..."

Despite that, he had to he admit; he liked puzzles.

Minato put the wrinkled note to the side and reached for the small gift instead. He took his time opening it and made sure not to rip the paper. Naruto had put so much effort into this that he didn't want to ruin a thing- even the gift wrapper.

Once the yellow paper was gone, it revealed a small blue box.

There were words written on it;  _'Hisagi's Jewelry'_  decorated the box with a fine gold-printed text. It was obviously jewellery, but the thing was; Hisagi's Jewelry was  _expensive._ Like,  **really** expensive.

Slowly, almost in slow motion, Minato opened the box. The inside was covered with a piece of black velvet fabric. His fingers were a little damp, but it didn't stop him from taking hold of the cloth and gently lift it to the side.

A piece of silver reflected the light of the bathroom, and it made the metal look like liquid gold.

Minato stared, transfixed by the small silver pendant in the box. It was the crest of the Uzumaki clan. There wasn't a chain for it but instead meant to be added to an already existing necklace.

His vision turned misty as he picked it up and simultaneously reached for the clasp of his necklace, the fire opal necklace that Naruto had bought him as a birthday gift. His first ever birthday together with Naruto. A chain he never took off.

With great care the pendant slid down the silver chain, stopping right behind the fire opal shaped like fire. Together they became one, as if though it had always been intended.

Uzumaki and Konoha.

Naruto and Minato.

"How am I ever going to figure out a way to spoil you when you keep doing things like this?" He whispered, eyes warm with love.

He looked at the necklace for a long moment, smiling and finding that this day was turning out to be one of his greatest yet.

Everything suddenly fell into place.

Minato blinked, " _'I am what I am, but I don't look like I am, what am I?'_... He's an Uzumaki, but he doesn't look like one." He realised, "Of course!"

But what happened now? The clue had to lead him somewhere, surely?

"Alright, So I have a pendant-" His eyes widened, "Hisagi's Jewelry!"

 

* * *

 

The problem wasn't figuring out where he was going but rather what he was going to  _wear_. His fashion sense stretched from underwear to shinobi uniform.

That was about it really, which was why he stood in front of his wardrobe and tried to match something together.

He groaned, frustrated as the only thing he wanted to do at that moment was to run off to find Naruto. However, Naruto had specifically asked him to wear civilian clothes, and since it was a date; he wanted to wear something nice.

"Okay, start with the basics. Underwear: check. Socks: check. Pants?" He looked at the several options before him. There was a brown pair of pants which, to be fair, he had no idea why he owned. They didn't exactly say: ' _This looks good!'_. Ugly if anything. "Basics." He reminded, "Black."

A pair of black jeans left the wardrobe, and Minato pulled them on and nodded.

"Okay, Shirt. Basics. White or black. White."

He eyed himself in the mirror for a moment, critical and thoughtful, "That works." He nodded to himself and finished off the look with a chestnut-coloured cardigan which he knew Naruto liked.

Perfect.

"I think this will do." Hopefully, Naruto would think it looked good.

 

* * *

 

 

Minato didn't know what was going on, but as he'd entered the market and headed for Hisagi's Jewelry store; Miwa, Naruto's hairdresser, had snatched him up and steered him straight to a nearby salon where he was currently being pampered by the man and two of his assistants.

"Did Naru plan this too?" Minato asked faintly, his hair was being attended to, and his feet massaged.

Miwa smiled as he trimmed the edges of the young man's golden hair, "He loves you a lot, you know. I've never seen anyone go out of their way for someone to this degree before."

A small blush dusted Minato's cheeks, but he had to agree, "There's no one else like him."

"I know, he's a very good-hearted person. Take care of him, yeah? And make him come by to get his hair done more often- he draws in a lot of customers." Miwa grinned, his handsome smile reflecting in the mirror in front of them. "You're lucky to have him."

Minato smiled and looked down at his hands, "I know."

 

* * *

 

 

Finding Naruto proved to be an adventure in and of itself.

After the first clue that'd lead him to ' _Hisagi's Jewelry_ ' and in turn to Miwa and his assistants, Minato had come to learn that there was a lot more to this than mere riddles and some random treats.

It didn't take long to figure out how the game worked:

After Miwa and his assistants finished pampering him, they would give him another note. The note would contain another riddle that he had to answer before he could leave. If he guessed right; he would receive a small gift and could head off to the next destination. The rewards could be anything: Snacks, a cold drink, a plushy, candy, shiny new shuriken. Anything.

But if he guessed wrong, they would give him another destination to head towards instead as a penalty. A detour that would take a while longer than the "main road".

Thankfully, he'd only guessed wrong once.

But there was more than a that.

Occasionally there would be familiar chakra spikes around the village- something he'd come to understand was part of the game as well. At first, he'd simply believed that Naruto was close by, and had thus decided to surprise him. But instead of finding Naruto, he'd found a box sealed with fuinjutsu.

He called them treasure chests.

To open the boxes, he had to deconstruct the seals locking them. Once inside, he'd find heaps upon heaps of candy and gifts.

Which was the reason as to why he walked around with a shopping bag worth of candy and gifts of a large variety. A bag that continued to grow in weight the further into the game he went.

Sometimes, in the button of the chests, he would find 'shortcuts'. They would provide an alternative path or an option between two things.

One example was: Find Risa or Taketa.

He could only choose one.

For his sanity, he'd picked Risa over Taketa and had ended up on his stomach, and he received a back massage for well over half an hour, which was amazing!

So far he'd received a haircut(just a trim) from Miwa, foot massage from the stylist's assistants, a health checkup from Tsunade. A massage from Risa, a hug from the Sandaime, a certificate from the Uzukage which stated that he was now welcome to use the Uzushio library to further his fuinjutsu studies(for life) and then, finally, a month-long gift card to free ramen at Ichiraku's.

And those were just the thing he'd received when he met random people who were tasked to pamper and spoil him.

The chests contained a lifetimes worth of treats.

So, naturally, whenever he felt the familiar spike of chakra, he'd stray from the main path and go to collect his candy and presents.

Besides, he really liked deconstructing the seals Naruto put on the chests. They were always so strange and exciting. Naruto's fuinjutsu was ingenious most of the time.

It was close to sundown when Minato received the final clue. It didn't matter that he'd spent almost the entire afternoon running around Konoha in his hunt for Naruto. He'd had so much fun doing it that he hadn't even reflected on the fact that he was ' _alone_ ' on their date. After all, Naruto was always there in a way, in his thoughts with each riddle or gift he received.

Knowing that Naruto was at the end of it all acted like a reliable source of motivation.

Minato walked through the shinobi district; the latest clue had led him there. Once he'd crossed half the neighborhood, a familiar chakra spike drew his attention, and he veered off towards the source without hesitation.

Finding the treasure chest was easy. He quickly got to work, the strawberry lollipop in his mouth rolling from one side to the other as he worked on the seal.

He grinned with triumph, "Gotcha."

The box popped open, and Minato peered inside, only to freeze for just a moment.

Inside the box was a note along with a single flower. A yellow freesia flower.

He reached inside, picking it up with great care as he used his other hand to pick up the note and flip it around to read.

' _One last riddle:_

_You and I and Him. Together we made more than three. But add You and I and Him again, and You shall find I under cover of stars and trees.'_

Minato placed the yellow flower on top of all his candy and gifts, picking the paper bag up as he mulled over the riddle and slowly made his way back to the main street of the district.

" _'You and I and Him...'_ that's three people. It's you and me... and probably sensei. That's us." Minato speculated, " _'Together we made more than three.'_ More than three... together, together... Together we made more than three. Maybe it's team Seven?" He hummed thoughtfully. "Sounds about right. We weren't team Three, but team Seven.  _'But add You and I and Him again, and you shall find I under cover of stars and trees'._ "

Minato walked the street in silence for a good five minutes before he abruptly stopped and groaned, "It's math! Seven plus three is ten!" which meant that Naruto was currently at 'ten' and under cover of stars and trees.

"Clever, Naru. Clever." Minato smirked, the lollipop rolled to the opposite side of his mouth once more, "The forest of training ground ten."

It was with a broad smile that he headed towards the training grounds at the edge of the village. And he may or may not have used the Hiraishin to get there faster.

He had to walk for ten minutes or so before he reached the gates to training ground ten, noting that the whole place was booked and confirmed his theory in one go.

Naruto was here, he just knew it.

A small trail of lingering chakra guided him through the vast grounds and into a thick and dark forest. But he wasn't worried. He knew that Naruto was close.

He continued to walk until it was so dark he could barely see what was in front of him. It didn't matter though. He felt Naruto's warm and beautiful chakra in the air, and it guided him around the roots of the trees and over the rocks and holes in the ground.

In the distance, a small ray of early moonlight peeked through between the trees. Minato's heart began to beat a little fast as he continued forward and rounded the final tree that would give him a clear view of the large clearing he'd entered.

The moment he did, he stopped completely, his lollipop almost falling out of his mouth.

The clearing wasn't as dark as one might suspect during the evening. But that was only partially because of the early moonlight, but mostly due to the hundreds of fireflies that flew through the air like specks of fire or dying embers. It made the clearing appear as if it sparkled with gold.

The grass was covered in flowers, and at the side of it all was a sizable lake that shimmered underneath the slowly appearing stars.

Right beside the lake was a large boulder, a boulder on which a person sat and admired the stars.

With the fireflies seemingly hovering in the air, Naruto looked magical. He wore a button up shirt in white along with a pair of grey jeans. But he had no shoes on, and his hair looked a little damp.

He must have taken a dip in the lake while he waited.

Minato walked forward before he even knew he was moving. The paper bag with candy stood abandoned on the grass, and the lollipop in his mouth ended up in his hand.

Naruto turned around, smiling at Minato as he made to stand up to greet him. It wasn't a moment too soon because when Minato was close enough, he practically threw himself at him- his arms wrapping around Naruto's neck as he brought their lips together into a searing kiss. It was a kiss that quickly moved to passionate and demanding.

Naruto interpreted Minato's reaction to his plan as a success, and it looked like he'd found most of the gifts as well.   
  
Even if he hadn't been there personally, his clones were kind enough to observe Minato and deliver the news of how he was doing on a fifteen-minute interval.

Even if he waited in the clearing all evening, it wasn't dull. Instead, he enjoyed the memories of Minato mulling over riddles and getting pampered and spoiled rotten. 

He loved seeing him so happy and excited. He'd been right when he'd suspected that a game such as this would be right up Minato alley.

In the end, the wait had been worth it ten times over.

Neither of them kept track of how long they stood there, exchanging a rather impressive amount of saliva, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were together now and that their feelings for each other were clearer than ever before.

"You taste like strawberries." Naruto smiled, only to feel Minato smiling back against his lips.

Minato, who still held his sticky red lollipop in his hands, playfully poked it to Naruto's cheek.

Naruto turned to the side, opening his mouth and took it before he turned back and grinned at the blond in his arms, "Tasty."

Despite the lollipop, Minato kissed him again, the piece of candy between them only served to add flavour and a hint of sweetness.

"Hungry?" Naruto parted long enough to ask, only to get a noncommittal hum as a reply. He smiled, allowing his hands to move down Minato's body until they took a firm hold of his hips. "I have something for you."

Minato opened his eyes again, a pair of cerulean meeting his own- merely inches away from him. "More?"

Naruto smiled, "Get used to it." He kissed him again, "Come here."

Their hands found each other, and Minato allowed himself to be guided across the clearing and around the large boulder.

On the other side of it was a checkered picnic cloth in white and red, a basket of sandwiches, a bottle of wine and a wide selection of fruits. There was also something that looked suspiciously like strawberries dipped in chocolate as well.

Naruto took a seat on the cloth, pulling Minato down with him as the two of them more or less sat in each other's laps.

"Hungry now?"

Minato smiled.

 

* * *

 

Naruto was laying on his back, an impressive display of stars and fireflies above him. But that was far from his mind as Minato was next to him, propped up on his elbow as he fed him strawberries dipped in chocolate while at the same time toe-flirting without a hint of embarrassment.

Minato watched him bite down on the red and juicy berry and almost immediately gave in to the impulse of kissing him to get a taste as well. 

... _And because he looked overall delicious._

"I think I get why you didn't want to call breaking into the archives a date." Minato smiled and reached for another strawberry, "Not if this was what you had in mind as a first date."

Naruto chuckled, "Does that mean I get a passing mark?"

"A medal is more like it." Minato laughed, "Today has been amazing. I'll admit, in the beginning, I had no idea what to expect or even an inkling of what was going on. I was completely in the dark."

"A good first date then?"

Minato lowered his head, stealing yet another of a countless number of kisses that night, "The best."

"I'm not sure I can up my game after this. Nothing short of taking a trip to Iwa and bathing in the Tsuchikage's personal pool will."

"Sounds exciting." Another strawberry touched Naruto's lips moments before he slowly bit down. Minato's mouth felt a little dry at the sight- much like it had all evening. And half a bottle of wine sure didn't help to stop his thoughts from running wild.

They hadn't actually done anything that intimate after Naruto's...  _gift_  all those weeks ago. There was too much work, too little time and the moment never seemed right.

Minato felt a rather strong desire to undress the blond jounin beside him, but he was still clear enough in mind to realise that he'd much rather be completely sober when he did. It was a pity, really. Naruto looked so delicious that Minato could have devoured him.

Still, he wanted something to immortalise this day with, not just through memories but through something else too.

The thoughts that wandered around Minato's mind must have shown because Naruto smiled, "What are you thinking about?"

"There's something I want to do. Do you have a kunai?" He wondered.

Naruto blinked, "I don't. Why do you need it?"

Minato grinned mischievously, "Then can I borrow one of your claws?"

This time Naruto couldn't keep his curiosity from showing, "Alright."

The shorter of the two pushed himself up, offering a hand to his partner of whom took it before Minato looked around the clearing for the perfect tree.

His grin grew bigger when he spotted it; a tree that stood a little further into the clearing than all the rest of them. It was also large and beautiful.

Hand in hand, Minato pulled Naruto along until he dropped down to his knees before the stem. "Claw please."

Humored and unable to deny his boyfriend anything in the world, Naruto nudged him a little with his knee, making him move enough so that Naruto could sit down as well. But Naruto wasn't finished, he took hold of Minato's waist and dragged him into his lap- securing him with an arm around his body.

Minato laughed softly, taking hold of Naruto's hand as he used his index finger to carve out words in the stem of the tree.

Naruto felt strangely overjoyed by the display of affection as the words slowly took shape.

_Mina + Naru_

"That's so cheesy." His laughter rang through the clearing like a beautiful melody as Minato looked back at him, "But I love it." He finished, placing a kiss on his smiling partner's cheek. "But it's missing something."

With another touch of chakra, the nail from his middle finger elongated to match his index finger. He pressed them against the stem of the tree and encircled it with a heart.

"That's better."

Minato felt warm, blissful, almost. He leaned back and into Naruto's chest, "I love you."

Naruto held him close and hid his face in the blonds silky soft hair, "I love you too."

 

 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By Ell**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to finish off a part of this story with something beautiful and memorable before everything goes to shit. Hehe, spoilers. War inc.
> 
> Check out Ell's new fanart as well! Totally adorable~!


	64. That's not fair!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *tosses my 'update schedule' in the trash bin* Yeah, that didn't work. #I'llJustUpdateWhenTheChapterIsReadyYOLO

Minato closed his eyes, smiling to himself as he held his boyfriend around the waist. Naruto moved a little to the side, reaching for a couple of eggs as Minato followed dutifully behind- not once letting him go from his hold.   
  
Naruto didn't mind. This was the norm these days. If they didn't have breakfast in bed, then it was Minato holding him while he cooked it. It was one of those sickly sweet domestic things he'd always dreamed of having, which was why he was entirely content with moving around with a grown shinobi wrapped around his body while he cooked most mornings. He kind of liked it that way.  
  
"How many eggs do you want?" Naruto asked, his gaze seeking out Minato's as he looked over his shoulder at the handsome blond teenager behind him. 

"How many are you having?" Minato smiled brightly, happy.   
  
Naruto smirked, "More than you can eat."  
  
"I hear a challenge in there."   
  
"A challenge you won't win." Naruto grinned, "We've been over this before, haven't we? Ramen? Yakiniku? Dango? Okonomiyaki? Omurice?"  
  
Minato sweat-dropped, "Fair enough." He sighed at the thought of how many times he'd tried to challenge Naruto to a food contest and lost spectacularly in the end. "But you never know! Eggs might be my thing." He teased.  
  
Naruto laughed, "Or, you could binge all your chocolates that you still haven't sorted through."  
  
"To be fair," Minato said mildly, "You can't expect me to eat a shopping bags worth of chocolate in two days. That's not very realistic." 

"Oh, I don't know about that. I've seen you go around munching on that stash of yours when you think I haven't been watching. Do you have a sweet tooth?"  
  
"I better with the hordes you gave me, remember?"  
  
"You liked it though, right?"  
  
Minato's hands moved underneath Naruto shirt, caressing his toned abdomen, "Mm-hm, loved it. I still don't know what to do to make it up to you. You make me feel so spoiled, you know that?" Even if he tried to take every opportunity he could find to give it back to Naruto in some way; he always seemed a second too slow each time. Naruto would be one step ahead of him. It was hard to show him how much he loved him because of that. All he could do was hug him, kiss him and tell him how much he loved him as often as he could. But it didn't feel like enough at times. He wanted to spoil him too. To physically give something back.  
  
"Believe it or not, Mina, but when you smile or when I managed to surprise you- I feel like I could burst from happiness." which was very much the truth. He was a giving person in nature, and giving was the thing he was the best at doing. When it came to Minato- Well, let's just say he was prepared to offer him the world.   
  
Minato smiled, his cheek resting against Naruto's neck, "Alright, but don't forget that sometimes I want to surprise you too, okay?"  
  
"I'll do my best to remember. But you still haven't told me how many eggs you want."  
  
"Surprise me." Minato kissed the back of his head and earned a fond chuckle.  
  
"One surprise coming right up."  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Naruto had mixed feelings about their new mission. They hadn't received it yet, but he had an inkling of what it would be.   
  
First of all, he was more than ready to leave the village for a while. On the other hand, he wasn't all that excited to take Minato out to the war front so soon. It wasn't exactly _soon_ but he had a feeling he'd always feel like putting Minato in possible danger would be  _too soon_  regardless of the situation.   
  
Minato was a jounin now and give it one or two years, and he'd very well be at the top five within the village. Worrying about him was borderline insulting to his hard work- he knew that, but it was easier to say that he was aware of it than it was to stop himself from continuing. He loved Minato too much to not worry about him all the time.   
  
If he didn't know that Minato could hand him his ass if he didn't pay attention during their spars, he'd consider wrapping him up in bubble-wrapper and cover him in barrier seals for protection, because God helps  **anyone**  who dared to hurt _his_  Mina!  
  
 _Still,_ Naruto mentally sighed as he leaned against the wall outside of the Hokage's office- Minato leaning against the one opposite him, _if anyone would be alright out there, it was Minato._  
  
"Are you worried?" Minato watched his partner knowingly. The stubborn and troubling shine to Naruto's cerulean eyes had Minato observing him a bit more than usual that morning. Not that he wasn't already looking at him at any spare second of the day, but that was entirely beside the point.  
  
Naruto's lips tugged at the corners, humoured that Minato could read him so well, but also tired in a sort of worn way, "If what I think is going to happen will... then we're going to be sent straight to the front. Jiji can't afford to hold people like us in the village like this. It's a miracle he's been allowed to do it for this long."  
  
"Which one do you think we'll get sent to?"  
  
"It's hard to say to be honest." Naruto sighed, leaned his head back and allowed himself to think for a moment. "Iwa is a problem in and of itself. They're stubborn to a fault, and they don't mind fighting dirty. Especially not after Uzushio. From what I've heard from Ero-sennin, Baa-chan, and Oro, they're focusing everything they've got on the Uzushio-nin on our teams. They want revenge for their defeat during the invasion."  
  
Minato frowned and nodded, "Sakumo-san said something about that as well, didn't he? That there's been a lot of rescue mission lately because of the tactics they're using to pick us off?"  
  
"Yeah. It lines up with what Oro's noticed as well. Apparently, Iwa is the ones responsible for the vast majority of those. Kumo is a close second."  
  
"And Suna?"  
  
Naruto snorted, "They just want to kill us so they can get their hands on a piece of our country. They want somewhere to grow more food and expand their economy. They live in a damn desert, so it's bound to be difficult as it is. If what Sakumo-san said about a possible treaty having fallen through, then there's bound to be bad blood between Suna and Konoha right now."  
  
"So," Minato chuckled humourlessly, "Every single one of the Great Nations wants to see us dead and buried. Great."  
  
"Don't worry," Naruto smiled, reassuring and filled with promise and certainty, "We'll win. The Will of Fire is strong, and I'd like to see them try to break the Spirit of the Ocean." He snorted again, "Good luck with that one."  
  
"You've got that right!" A distinctly feminine voice spoke up, quickly followed by footsteps from down the corridor as it drew both of the Konoha-nin's attention.  
  
Naruto sweat-dropped and Minato closed his eyes, praying that it wasn't who he thought it was. But when she spoke again, he couldn't help but groan.  
  
"Nobody can break the Uzumaki, dattebane!" Kushina shot a dirty look at the short-haired blond, "Do you have anything you want to say, girl-boy?"  
  
Naruto bit back a laugh and decided that Minato could handle this one on his own. Over the years he'd met Kushina several times, and the two of them had become, kind of, not really, friends. It was weird. And complicated. So he preferred not to think about it. She had a very... strong... personality.   
  
Minato smiled sweetly, "I do, but your vocabulary isn't big enough to comprehend all of it."  
  
Not to mention... Minato's and Kushina's relationship was nothing short of passive-aggressive with a serious amount of sarcasm tossed into it. Kushina thought Minato was a sissy, and Minato just thought she was stupid. It would have easily made him misinterpret their hostility towards each other as pent-up sexual frustration if he didn't know any better. Which, thankfully, he did.   
  
The two of them just didn't get along very well. It was like trying to fit a square in a circle. Or mix oil and water.   
  
Kushina frowned and when she finally processed the insult, she scowled full force, "Hey!-"  
  
"Can you guys not fight." Naruto stepped between them right before they launched at each other. "Chances are we're going on a mission together, and I'd rather not babysit either one of you. You're _big scary_  jounin now, not silly genin, right?" He sent a questioning look at Kushina. He didn't know if she'd received her promotion yet.   
  
Kushina huffed, "Of course I'm a jounin, dattebane! And so's Nag- eh?" She spun around and blinked rapidly, "Where'd he go?"  
  
At that moment, from around the corner, a tall and long-haired red-head came jogging- a teenager dressed in the standard jounin attire for Uzushio-nin. It consisted of a light-grey vest, a white shirt, a pair of white pants, and a white forehead protector. The young man also had a long weapon on his back that was wrapped in red fabric. Most Uzushio-nin had some variation of that (like Kushina's katana). It would seem that this person was quite talented with a naginata though. "Kushina-chan..." He sighed, "Don't run ahead like that."  
  
 _ **'Oi... Isn't that-?'**_  
  
 _'Those mushrooms I cooked earlier hadn't gone bad, right...?'_  
  
"It's not my fault you're slow, Nagato-kun!" Kushina pouted, a small blush on her cheeks.

Naruto looked a little faint, but thankfully nobody noticed.   
  
"Then slow down for a slow-poke like me, alright?" He suggested with a fond smile on his lips.  
  
 _ **'Do you think they're shagging?'**_  
  
 _'Kurama!'_ **God,**  that thought was disturbing! 

"Fine, but only because I don't want you to end up in trouble that I can't help you out of." She looked down at her grey shinobi sandals.   
  
Nagato placed a hand on her head, "Thanks, Kushina-chan."  
  
Needless to say, Kushina turned into a beet, and she quickly looked away... and ended up locking eyes with Minato. Said blond rose a single, smug, eyebrow. "You have something on your face, Kushina _-chan._ "  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Hiruzen nodded, signalling for his Anbu to open the door to let the next group in.   
  
A loud, exasperated and long-suffering sigh escaped him the moment the door opened, and the sheer  _volume_  reached his ears. Not to mention when he saw a tall Uzumaki carrying a short and raging red-headed girl over his shoulder. Said girl was screaming like a banshee and shouting out more profanities than Hiruzen had ever heard before.   
  
Right behind them came Naruto and Minato, the latter of which had a pinky finger in his ear and a seemingly unphased expression on his face. But Hiruzen wasn't fooled, the smug glint in Minato's eye revealed the truth. The hold Naruto had on Minato's hip was also a tad bit too firm for a simple display of affection.   
  
"Naruto's in charge." He stated dryly, ignoring the girl for his sanity's sake, "You leave the moment you're ready."  He pointedly tossed the scroll to the long-haired blond and  _shooed_  them away with one of his hands. He'd been planning to give them a proper run-through about the mission, but he found that he couldn't bring himself to bother- and he'd much rather spare himself a headache.   
  
Naruto caught the scroll, sighing but nodding all the same. "We've got it."  
  
Hiruzen nodded back, shooing them away again. "Out."  
  
Nagato smiled sheepishly, taking a small bow before he proceeded to walk back towards the door. To exit, they had to pass the blonds, and when they did, Kushina zeroed in on Minato once more, "You're worse than period cramps!" She shrieked while Minato tried  **really**  hard not to scowl.   
  
Naruto turned his attention to his partner, expression entirely flat, "Really, Mina? Did you  _have_  to insult her?"  
  
"I wasn't _insulting_  her." He raised his chin defiantly, "And even  _if_  I was, it's not like she's proving me wrong."  
  
"Really?" Naruto steered them outside of the office, glancing back at the old man with a silent plea in his eyes. It was ignored. And Naruto died a little on the inside.   
  
"I can tell you're talking shit about me again, Sissy girl-boy!" Kushina shouted from down the hall.  
  
The last thing Hiruzen heard before his Anbu managed to close the door and spare his poor ears was Minato's retort, "I could agree with you, but then we'd both be wrong!"  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Naruto couldn't help but smile as they made their way out of the village. Minato and Kushina were at the front, sending insults and retorts at each other with each sentence they spoke. Minato was in the lead though, holding the impressive score of forty-one to Kushina's meagre seventeen.   
  
"I think it's pretty cute." Naruto decided after a while.   
  
Nagato raised a brow, turning his attention back to their two teammates and felt his chest constrict painfully. "Do they like each other?" He asked a little hesitant.  
  
Naruto snorted, much to Nagato's surprise, "You like her right?" Nagato had a denial on the tip of his tongue, but Naruto continued before he could voice it, "Mina's my boyfriend, so don't worry about it. He doesn't like her because he thinks her manners are atrocious and because the first time Kushina and I met she literally hit me in the face. So to be fair, I doubt they  _really_ dislikeeach other. They're just someone they can be openly hostile with without having to worry about crossing any lines."  
  
Nagato suddenly felt a lot better, so he smiled knowingly instead, eyes fixed upon the blond in front of them(who was too busy having a pissing contest with Kushina to notice that they were talking about him), "So Minato-san is your boyfriend, huh?"  
  
"Just for little under two months, but we've been best friends for six- almost seven years now."  
  
"I met Kushina-chan in the library when she was eleven. Around five years ago. She was using shadow clones to fill up all the available seats to study, so I wasn't able to find a place for myself and ended up asking her if she could spare a seat for me once in a while." Nagato explained, eyes fixed upon the girl in question, "I don't really know why, but after that, we began meeting more and more, and now she keeps popping up wherever I go."  
  
Naruto chuckled, "Despite was Mina thinks, Kushina is a nice person. She's just got a very colourful personality. Which is ironic since I'm like that too."  
  
"I think you're quite calm for an Uzumaki, like me." The tall red-head disagreed, "Like the calm wind before a typhoon hit. Those tend to be the more dangerous ones."  
  
"I don't know man," Naruto watched Kushina as she tried to throw herself at his boyfriend- only for Minato to expertly sidestep and watch as the girl slammed into a nearby tree. "Kushina seems pretty dangerous to me. If not a little impulsive."  
  
"Aren't we all?" Nagato all but sweat-dropped with the blond jounin quickly following.  
  
"Hear, hear."  
  


* * *

  
  
"Are you always this stupid or are you making a special effort today due to a special someone?" Minato grimaced, dodging a hit to his kidney.  
  
"Just you watch flower-boy, I'll grind your pretty face so deep into the ground you'll start sprouting leaves out of your ass." Kushina sneered.   
  
Naruto glanced at Nagato, and the young man nodded thoughtfully. That was a pretty good one. They were moving onto their more creative insults.

"It would still be better than having a mirror shatter whenever I pass it."  
  
A tick-mark pulsed on Kushina's forehead as her fingers itched to wrap around the blond's neck to strangle him blue. "Maybe you should eat some of that make-up you put on your face, maybe you'll turn pretty on the inside too?"  
  
Minato's eyebrow twitched, "I'd tell you to try some of it yourself, but makeup can't cure stupidity, much less that accident on your face."  
  
"Shut up!" She swung her fist towards his face, missed and bristled, "My _kunai_  is more of a man than you are! Longer too!"  
  
Naruto raised one of his hands, "That's not correct." He disagreed. He'd know, after all.  
  
Silence.   
  
Minato smirked smugly, Nagato blushed, and Kushina gaped then glared at the long-haired blond, "Why're you taking HIS side!?"  
  
"I've been close enough to safely say that you're wrong. He's bigger than me too." Naruto shrugged.  
  
Minato's heart swelled and a strong impulse to throw his arms around the blond almost overpowered his senses. That is until Kunshina spoke...  _again_.  
  
She huffed, not entirely sure what to counter that statement with. So instead, she openly pointed at Nagato, "Y-Yeah, well, Nagato-kun is bigger than both of you!!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"K-K-K-Kushina-chan!!?"  
  
Minato inched away from her, sneaking closer to Naruto who did the same thing. It didn't take long until their hands locked, and Minato looked up at his boyfriend, "I'm sorry," He whispered, "Am I being a bother?"  
  
Naruto merely smiled, only allowing half an ear to listen to the way Nagato tried to explain why saying such a thing was an inappropriate thing to do while the girl herself didn't really get it. Naruto raised his hand, taking a gentle hold of Minato's chin, "Don't you remember?" He whispered back, "You look even better when you're angry. Don't stop for my sake." Naruto's lips brushed Minato's before they locked in a toe-curling kiss.   
  
They were so caught up in their own little world that they hadn't even noticed that Nagato and Kushina weren't talking anymore- but rather watched the both of them with nothing short of alarming redness on their faces.   
  
But embarrassment gave way to uncontrollable impulses, and when Kushina became impulsive, she did and said things that weren't entirely thought-through. "I knew it." She spoke, loud and clear, "There's no way that sissy would be anything else besides an uke."  
  
Nagato watched Minato spare Kushina enough attention to raise his hand, middle finger displayed in all its glory. The message was all too clear: _'Fuck off.'  
  
_

* * *

  
  
As they leaped through the trees and towards the Suna border, Minato couldn't help but continuously hear the name Kushina had called him before:  _'Uke.'_ That meant submissive, didn't it? Was he the submissive one in his relationship with Naruto? The thought didn't sit right with him, and as they sat up camp for the night- he offered to take the first watch so he could think it over.   
  
As such, Minato took a seat on a high branch above the camp.  
  
In comparison to Naruto, he had to admit that he wasn't as strong, as revered or as famous- but Naruto never made him feel any lesser than him. Not intentionally anyway.  
  
His stomach twisted in discomfort. He didn't want to be someone's 'uke.' To be submissive to someone else. To always be seen as the more inexperienced or weaker one. He wanted to be Naruto's equal- his second half!  
  
But was that how he appeared to others? Submissive and like some sort of 'uke'?  
  
His thoughts came to a halt when Naruto dropped down beside him, his expression concerned and worried, "Something's wrong, isn't it?" He said, not even a hint of doubt in his voice.   
  
Minato forced a smile and turned away. "I'm fine, it's just something she said that's bothering me."  
  
Naruto crossed his fingers into a Clone Sign, and a handful of clones appeared and scattered to the wind, "My clones can keep watch instead, so talk to me about it, please?"  
  
There was a long moment of silence.  
  
"Am I an _uke_?"  
  
If it was possible, Minato was pretty sure a question mark would have grown out of Naruto's head at that moment, "What the hell's an  _'uke'_?"  
  
Despite it all, Minato felt a small smile form on his lips. It was so Naruto to not know about things like that, "Submissive." He clarified softly, "The term can be pretty vague... but it generally refers to the submissive one in a relationship between two men. The cuter... and weaker one." He looked away, hiding the hurt in his eyes. His dream was to be Naruto's equal, not just in strength or jutsu... but in everything. Kushina's seemingly harmless taunt had struck home more than he wanted to admit.  
  
Naruto frowned, "And because she called you that, it makes you wonder if you are one?"  
  
Minato nodded, clenching the cloth of his pants.   
  
"I take it you don't want to be one, correct?"   
  
Minato nodded again, this time looking down at his pants. His eyes felt a little bit itchy.  
  
"Wouldn't I be this uke-thing though?" Naruto tilted his head to the side, confused as hell. Minato looked up, equally as confused, "Because I can't say 'no' to you, ever. Like," He snorted and gestured with his hands, " **Ever.** If you want something, I'd crawl on my knees to Iwa and kiss the Tsuchikage's wrinkled old feet to get it for you if I had to. You could boss me around however you'd like, and I'd be pretty content either way."  
  
"I'd never boss you around, Naru!" His chest swelled a little at the words, "I'm not like that."  
  
Naruto nodded, "I know. So what makes you think you're an uke-thing? From what I've seen, you're nothing like you've described them as."  
  
"It refers more to the... intimate part of the relationship." Minato decided to further his explanation a bit. It would seem that Naruto misunderstood some of what he'd meant. "Submissive... in bed. The bottom, more specifically."  
  
The long-haired blond frowned again, scratching his chin absently, "But that's not fair. I want to receive too." He murmured.  
  
Minato blinked slowly, not faster than a snail, "What?"  
  
The frowning blond turned to his boyfriend, "It's not fair if only you get to be the bottom. I want to be the bottom too! Those uke people get to be the bottom all the time? That's not right!" Because that was bullshit. Bottom felt the best! There's no way he'd allow Minato to be the bottom all the time! That wasn't fair at all!  
  
He'd fucking strike if that happened! Nah-ah, man! Fuck that noise! PROTEST!  
  
"You  _want_  to be?" Minato stared at his boyfriend in disbelief. Naruto wanted to have sex with him- _IN_  him!?  
  
If a part of Minato's brain dripped out of his ears, he was entirely excused.   
  
"Of course I want to be!" Naruto crossed his arms, "Don't you?" It almost sounded like an accusation. As if Minato tried to hog the position for himself.   
  
Somehow, not a single coherent thought seemed to form in Minato's head at that moment. It was just an incoherent mess of 'YES!' and 'SIT DOWN BONER!' and 'WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON!?'. "N- I-I mean, y-yes! I want t-to be too-" He face-palmed, unable to help himself.   
  
Idiot!  
  
" _Good..._ " Naruto squinted his eyes suspiciously, "If you take one for yourself, we're gonna have issues, you get me?"  
  
Minato nodded, quickly and without hesitation, eyes wide and shocked.   
  
"Tsk, uke's got it good. Bastards." He grumbled, glaring at the sleeping Uzumaki's on the ground. "You think she's just pissy she's stuck as the other one?"  
  
Minato had to bite the inside of his cheek not to burst out into hysterical laughter. Honestly, what had he been so worried about in the first place? He should have known by now that Naruto didn't seem to care about the  _rules_  everyone else apparently followed.  
  
"What about the first time?" Minato ended up asking instead, having gathered enough courage to dive into the topic neither of them had talked about before.   
  
"First time?"  
  
A deep rose red blush spread across Minato's cheeks, " _Our_  first time... going  _that_."  
  
"Oh." A small hue of pink settled on Naruto's own cheeks. "Maybe I should. I've... eh... Been around a lot of brothels, so I know what to do."  
  
It made sense, Minato admitted to himself. Naruto grew up on the streets and worked as a delivery boy between different illegal establishments. It wasn't unreasonable to think that he'd seen a lot during that time. "...Maybe that's for the best."  
  
A hand touched Minato's, and the two of them interlaced their fingers.  
  
"Does that scare you?" Naruto asked softly.   
  
"...A little."  
  
"Don't be scared, Mina. You're not doing it alone, remember? And I'd never hurt you." Naruto moved closer to his boyfriend, more or less crawling onto his lap since Minato was sitting against the stem of the giant tree. Once he was close enough, he pressed himself into Minato's chest- their legs danging down from the branch.   
  
Minato made some room for him, gently guiding Naruto's head to the nook of his neck before wrapping his arms around his body. "I'm sorry for being an idiot."  
  
"You're not an idiot. It's perfectly normal to be worried about that kind of stuff. Just... don't try to put yourself under labels like that, alright? You're more than a mere label can define."  
  
His hold on Naruto's body tightened as his heart beat a little faster while his chest warmed, "I know, but sometimes it's hard not to. You're so amazing, Naru, that sometimes I feel like I can't measure up to you. That I can't be considered anything but... less."  
  
"That's ridiculous, Mina." Naruto pushed himself back far enough to fix Minato with a firm look, "You have no idea how much I admire and look up to you, do you?"  
  
Minato's lips parted in shock. Apparently not.  
  
"When I feel unsure about something, I just think:  _'What would Mina do?'_  And that's because there's nobody I look up to more than you. I trust your judgement more than I do my own. I admire you more than I admire anyone else. I'd follow you  _anywhere._  If you one day decide that you want to work in the flower-business and open up a flower shop, then I'd be the first one to help you plan the layout of the damn place. I'd help you set up the price-tags, and I'd be your first customer. And then I'd be the first one to beg you to hire me so I wouldn't have to sleep in a cardboard box on the street."  
  
Naruto's words held no lies, and his eyes shone with promise and the silent warning not to try and dissuade him.   
  
"Mina," He continued and burrowed his brows, "You're so damn  _good_  at everything you do. You've got more talent in your little finger than I've got in my entire body. Where do you think I'd be with my fuinjutsu if I didn't have hundreds of clones to help me knock all that shit into my head?  **Nowhere** , that's where. At the rate you're going, you'll be able to take the Seal Master Exam in a year and a half, and then you'll have your entire life ahead of you to reach the Grand Seal Master title. Do you have any idea how rare that is? You're not even twenty! I'm just an abnormality because of the way I can cheat my way to the title with my clones. Without them, I'd be a piss in the pond. The shadow clone jutsu was the first jutsu I truly ever mastered because it was the only one I had. I discovered the ability to use them to build my knowledge up by sheer accident. I had  _no clue_  I could do that when it first learned it." Naruto placed his hands on Minato's cheeks and stared into the disbelieving eyes of the blond teenager, "Sometimes you sell yourself so short that I have to wonder if you're actually blind. Just look at yourself and see all the things you've  _achieved._  You're sixteen, been jounin for not even half a year, and already one of the best shinobi the village as to offer. Do you honestly think that's not an incredible feat in and of itself? You're so incredible, Mina, so why do you keep acting like you're not? It's okay to be proud of the hard work you've put into building yourself up. I know I am."  
  
Naruto placed a kiss on his lips, catching the traitorous tear he knew Minato didn't want to fall, "When I look at you, I feel  _so_  damn proud.  _'He's mine,'_   _'My partner,'_   _'My boyfriend,'_ _'My best friend,'_   _'Mine.'_ The mere thought of someone so amazing even sparing me a single glance... don't you see how happy that makes me? Why would I ever want to walk in front of someone when I could walk behind you?"  
  
"But- No!" Minato shook his head, "That's not right. I don't want to walk in front of you!"  
  
"Then walk beside me." Naruto decided and let his hands slid down his partner's body; down his ribcage, waist, hips, and thighs, "Hold my hand and take a step forward whenever I do. If you stop, so will I, and if you fall, I'll help you back up. You might not want to walk in front of me... but I'll never be able to look at anyone but you."  
  
Minato's throat tightened to a painful degree, "Me too." He managed to say right before he threw his arms around Naruto's neck, and pulled him into a desperate kiss.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Minato slowly moved his fingers through Naruto's long hair, the moonlight causing the both of them to glow underneath the star-filled sky as they relaxed on the tree branch. "Do you remember when I chased you down on the street after your first taijutsu class with me?"  
  
"I do," Naruto said softly, his back resting against Minato's chest. "That's when it all started, wasn't it?"  
  
Minato held him a little closer, smiling up at the moon, "When everything aligned."

  
  
 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By Ell**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gasp* NAGATO!? Yes, since Uzushio never went BOOM and everyone went like NAAAAAAOOOOOOOWWWW *insert Darth Vader meme here*, Nagato's parents never left Uzushio and little Nagato-pun is alive and kicking in the country of whirlpools. Awh Yiizz. PLOT TWISTS FOR DAYS!


	65. Mistakes were made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about the late update, but I've been so damn busy!!
> 
> Here's another chapter!

“Something’s wrong.” Minato looked around the designated meeting area. It was empty- which it shouldn’t have been. There should have been a team waiting for them.  
  
“Indeed.” Naruto frowned as he crouched down and dug his fingers into the ground, stretching his sense through the chakra network in the earth. It only confirmed his suspicions. “There’s nothing bigger than a couple of birds for several miles. There’s no residue chakra either… they never made it here.”  
  
Kushina growled in the back of her throat. That was more Uzushio shinobi dead at the hands of the desert bastards!  
  
“Shouldn’t there be more teams around the area?” Nagato questioned, “You said there wasn't anybody for several miles. This is a war-front, it’s not supposed to be empty.”  
  
“Agreed.” Naruto withdrew his fingers, brushing the dirt off on his pants. “First order of business is to inform the Hokage, and the Uzukage that the team we were supposed to meet with hasn’t shown up. After that, we need a run-down on all the teams that are supposed to be in the area and what incoming teams are coming within the next couple of days.” He then grimaced, “You guys better prepare yourself to stay out here for a long time.”  
  
Nagato straightened his back slightly, “It would seem that this will be more than a routine mission then.”

* * *

  
  
The Sandaime Hokage put down the small note on his desk with anger and shock surging through his blood. Of all the things to happen, it **had** to be _this_. It wasn’t enough that Kumo was making bolder moves on the northern front, now Suna had to go and push past their defence and wipe out their _entire_ western front- or so it appeared. Judging by the reports Naruto’s team delivered; there wasn't anybody in the vicinity anymore. That couldn’t be anything but bad news. It should have been filled with shinobi.  
  
“Summon the war council and send word to the Uzukage immediately.” Hiruzen stood up, eyes ablaze with fury, “Get every single shinobi on call to report to duty effective immediately.”  
  
One of the anbu in the corner of the room vanished in an instant, and The Professor clenched his fists.  
  
If Suna wanted to play dirty- _then so would he!_

* * *

  
  
Nagato and Kushina were setting up a barrier around the clearing, making sure that nobody would be able to take them by surprise while they worked. At the same time, they held onto the numerous scrolls that Minato came back carrying. Thanks to the Hiraishin seals that all of Naruto’s clones carried on them, they could quickly signal when they found either allies or enemies. They moved in teams of three. One was used as the messenger and would dispel to report back to Naruto when they saw anything. The second was Minato’s anchor so that he could quickly move from point A to point B. The third was a multitasker. If they needed another messenger, that was its purpose. It was the same if they needed a temporary spy or scout.  
  
Minato was crouched before Naruto, a map on the ground as he filled in all the information they’d gathered so far. A red ‘x’ indicated the locations they’d found their dead comrades at and a black ‘o’ told them where their enemies had been spotted. It was his job to retrieve all the dead because of the simple reason that he was the fastest, and he could get the job done before anyone even realised he’d been there in the first place.  
  
But it was easier said than done. It wasn’t until Minato went to the first location to retrieve their dead that he grasped what kind of situation they were in- just what type of mission this would be. The reality of war was very different from the stories he’d been told over the years. In some naïve part of his mind, a war was just an abstract thing the other jounin and chunin participated in outside of the village… not old classmates who’d been strung up-side-down in a tree while naked and bruised. It didn’t seem quite real.  
  
War was cruel.  
  
He found that cutting them down was harder than letting them be where they were. The way they were hung up- connected with a single rope, made them all fall at the same time if he cut the rope for _one_ of them. They would land on their heads, either snapping their necks or crushing their skulls all at once. There wasn’t any way of catching them all. Naruto may have called him the fasted shinobi in the world… but he still wasn’t fast enough for that.  
  
The more teams they found, the less the group talked. Minato had begun to feel increasingly detached and numb when he systematically stored the dead inside of scrolls for Nagato and Kushina to examine. It had come to the point where he no longer looked at their faces because of the fear of seeing someone he knew. He’d seen plenty already.  
  
Once Kushina and Nagato finished with the barrier, the two of them turned their focus towards the scrolls Minato had brought back thus far. Nagato unravelled one of them, frowned and unravelled another.  “Are they all like this?” He asked.  
  
Minato looked over his shoulder and grimaced, “All of them.”  
  
Kushina shuddered, “What’s wrong with these people, dattebane... I didn’t know Suna did things like this.”  
  
“I don’t remember them doing it either.” Naruto opened his eyes, fixing the three of them with a grim expression while his lips pressed into thin lines, “Judging by the information I’m gathering, these aren’t the actions of the normal Suna forces. It’s something else unless they suddenly got new orders and protocols- which I highly doubt.” He didn’t remember seeing anything like this in the history of the Second Shinobi World War.  
  
“Then who would?” Kushina put her scroll away- unable to look at it any longer.  
  
“It’s Suna, that’s for sure.” Minato glared at the map between him and Naruto, “Nobody else has a reason to take out Konoha and Uzushio shinobi alongside the Suna border.”  
  
“It’s Suna shinobi.” Naruto confirmed, “And I have a sneaking suspicion of who they are as well.” All three of his teammates now had their full attention on their team leader, “The Sandaime will have come to the same conclusion, I’m guessing. The best we can hope for right now is a back-up. Or this entire front is screwed.”  
  
“Who are they?” Nagato asked, a phantom rock of worry settling in his throat.  
  
“Suna’s Puppet Brigade.”  
  
Minato’s eyes widened, and the only thing he could think was a resounding **‘shit.’**

* * *

  
  
  
The Hokage and the Uzukage opened the doors to the large council chamber, drawing the attention of the countless shinobi inside. The air was so tense that someone could have cut it with a kunai. It was thick and heavy, hard to breathe and ominous.  
  
The two leaders took a seat at the head of the chamber, two chairs placed at the very front. The moment they did, everyone took a seat on the floor- mainly in seiza to save room or pressed themselves up against the walls.  
  
It was silent for a long moment, the air in the room taking a hold around the throats of those present. It was especially bad for the ones that were under the age of fourteen. None of them had been summoned to a meeting with the Hokage or the Uzukage before, much less both of them at the same time.   
  
It was especially bad for the five-year-old and silver-haired boy who sat beside his father. He’d never seen what war could be like and he stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd of adults.  
  
Present were also all the department heads, the clan leaders, elders, newly appointed jounin and old chunin- such as Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chouza, Inuzuka Tsume, the Hyuuga twins: Hizashi and Hiashi, Aburame Shibi, Uchiha Fugaku and his fiancée- Uchiha Mikoto. Senju Nawaki and Maito Dai were also present.  
  
Everyone was there. The only noticeable exception was the Sannin who was currently leading the charge at the Kumo front.  
  
“At seven hundred hours this morning,” The voice of the Hokage carried over the chamber, forcing the pulse of those listening to pick up in speed, “We received word that the entire Suna front has been eliminated.”  
  
There was a collective intake of a breath- everything so silent that a senbon could have fallen to the ground and thrown everyone into a panic. Only those old enough to understand truly grasp the severity of the situation.  
  
The Uzukage spoke next, gaze moving over the shocked and fearful shinobi of all ages, Uzushio and Konoha ones alike. “The list of casualties is high, and if you have loved ones on missions in the area- consider them MIA as of right now. Currently, there's only a single team alive that we know of. They arrived two hours before their first report reached us. It's lead by Uzumaki Naruto. Under him are Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina and Uzumaki Nagato.”

Hiruzen watched his subordinates with a grim expression, already noting the reactions of the teenager's friends. They looked ashen. Even Taketa seemed shocked by the news… and he was the head of TI. “If we lose the western front, we can expect the war to spill into the everyday homes of our civilians. Our economy will suffer, and our surrounding nations will take advantage of our state of weakness. This cannot be allowed to happen.”  
  
Arashi leaned forward, his attention moving towards his own shinobi who were stationed in Konoha for easy access during this time of war, “Uzushio and Konoha have been allies since our foundation. We’ve stood side by side through wars and numerous trails. The Will of Fire and the Spirit of the Ocean has proven to the world that, together, there is **nobody** stronger.” Arashi then rose to his feet, “Regardless of what Konoha decides,” His gaze moved to Hiruzen and back to his own shinobi, “Uzushio will move out at first light. We have three, practically four, Uzumaki’s out there who’s in a bind, and that’s enough cause for me.” The man smirked, dangerous and full of bloody intent.  
  
Every single red-head in the room rose to their feet; a matching expression firmly cemented on their faces as well.  
  
“Maa,” Taketa shoved his hands into his pockets, adrenaline pumping through his veins, “I wouldn’t mind a stroll in the countryside myself.”  
  
Hiruzen snorted.

* * *

  
  
Meanwhile, Kakashi tried to keep his hands from trembling. For once in his life, he felt very small- like a mere child. Dare he say; he was thankful he was one too. Judging by the expressions of the adults around him, the situation was bad- like, _really_ bad. His father seemed to hold his breath to a certain degree. Not to mention, it looked like Naruto and Minato were smack down in the middle of this whole thing.  
  
But even if that was the case, he felt _strange_ watching the Uzushio shinobi around the chamber. They didn’t seem afraid, but excited… invigorated by the idea of going into battle. It made Kakashi’s trembling hands prickle with energy of his own. His heart pounding in his ears, and the urge to _move_ almost overwhelmed him.  
  
A hand suddenly dropped down on his head, and he looked up at his father who watched him with poorly hidden worry. “Kakashi-” He began, but never got to finish. The Hokage stood up from his seat.  
  
“All of you who’ve been summoned here today is to reassemble at the top of the Hokage monument in three hours. Once you’re there, you will get assigned a team suitable for your talents. You will leave in four hours.”  
  
This time… Kakashi didn’t tremble because of adrenaline.

* * *

  
  
Minato took the tiny scroll from his small red fox summon, “Thank you Kano-san.” He scratched her behind the ear.  
  
“No problem, Minato-chan!” Kano preened. However, her paws needed some loving attention. They were sore and aching. She’d been running for quite a while, and even though she was much faster than ordinary shinobi, it still took its toll on her poor paws. After all, she wasn’t the biggest in the pack.  
  
“Any news?” Naruto walked up to him, eyes moving to the small scroll in his hand.  
  
It was about time they got word from Konoha.  
  
“I haven’t read it yet,” He said while at the same time opening the message. It wasn’t what they’d expected. At best, they assumed it would be something along the lines of _‘Fall back and regroup with X teams.’_ But this was completely different.  
  
Naruto raised a hand and placed it on Minato’s stiff shoulder, “We have to tell the others.”  
  
“N-Naru! They’re making you-“  
  
“I know.” The former Kage smiled. At least he tried to. He was shocked by the news as well. Minato wasn’t buying it though- and his face told him as much. “Don’t give me that face.” Naruto placed his hand on Minato’s cheek, his thumb moving across the teenager’s cheekbone. “Have a little faith in me.”  
  
“It’s not about that!” Minato grasped for his partner with both of his hands, “You’re fifteen!”  
  
“I’m almost sixteen, thank you,” Naruto stated mildly.  
  
“Naru!” The short-haired jounin warned.  
  
“I know, I get it, but orders are orders.” Naruto sighed, his hands moving around his boyfriend’s body until he could pull him into a comforting hug, “Besides, you’ll be there, won’t you? It’s not like I’d do it alone, and you’re acting as if I’ll fail. It’s pretty insulting, you know.”  
  
Minato’s throat constricted as he clung to his best friend. Why couldn’t someone else do it? Why did it have to be _his_ Naru? It was dangerous and-  
  
“Thank you for worrying about me, Mina-chan. I’ll be careful out there.”  
  
“You better be! If you do something stupid, I won’t forgive you!”  
  
“What are you two on about?” Kushina walked into the clearing, Nagato close behind her as they finished the last of their checks on the barrier seal to make sure nothing was amiss.  
  
Naruto chuckled, raised a hand and began scratching the back of his head, “It looks like Jiji is sending a whole company… or two... as back up.”  
  
Kushina’s mouth fell open, Minato raised a single brow, and Nagato stared at their blond team leader incredulously, “But that’s a battalion, not a company!”  
  
“Aa,” Naruto chuckled again, “I suppose you’ll have to call me Captain Uzumaki from now on, huh?”  
  
“You-You’re a WHAT!?” Kushina all but shrieked.

* * *

  
  
“But Hokage-sama!”  
  
“I said no.” Hiruzen turned towards his advisers and the village’s clan heads. They had a lot of planning to do, and he didn't have time to waste on things like this. “He’s not a simple child anymore, Sakumo-san. He’s a shinobi of Konoha, and he will be treated as such. You weren’t much older the first time you saw real combat. What makes you think he’s not capable of handling himself out there? He’s far stronger than you were at that age.”  
  
“He’s just five!” Sakumo argued desperately. He didn’t want his son to be out there, not if someone powerful enough to decimate the entire western front was there as well. Kakashi was his only child!  
  
“And he’s stronger than a regular genin.” The older man turned back around, fixing the man with a stern frown, “I will not have my subordinates tell me how I run my village. Is that understood?”  
  
Sakumo had to bite his tongue. If he didn’t, he might’ve accused the man of trying to take his son away from him. Instead, he bowed and walked away.  
  
“He’ll understand in time, Hokage-sama.” Nara Shikako assured, “It’ll be his son’s first time facing real combat. It’s understandable that he’s concerned.”  
  
“It still gives me a foul taste in my mouth to send mere _children_ into the field.” The head of the Yamanaka clan grimaced. She would never have sent out a five-year-old if she’d had anything to say about it. Which, unfortunately, she didn’t.  
  
Hiruzen said nothing and began walking towards his office, the others following close behind.

* * *

  
  
Kakashi’s fingers wouldn’t stop trembling as he tried to tighten the oversized wrist-guards on his thin arms. His father had gone off somewhere, leaving him all alone in the middle of the seemingly growing number of shinobi who were going out to war. It was only his strong will that stopped him from openly crying, his fear so deep-rooted inside of his body that it made his bones ache.  
  
Meanwhile, Minato’s classmates were putting on their own armour.  
  
“This happened too soon for my liking.” Tsume decided to point out. She wasn’t exactly wrong. None of them was all that thrilled to head out to one of the fronts. They’d all been there at some point. Delivering messages and provisions, but they’d never actively participated, mostly due to their parent’s interventions. It would seem… that was bound to change.  
  
“They didn’t say what Naruto and Minato were doing out there, did they?” Inoichi asked, clasping the sides of his breastplate into place.  
  
“They didn’t.” Hizashi confirmed, “But they’re both stronger than us, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if their mission were more hands-on than ours have been.”  
  
“Naruto is Anbu.” Shikaku drawled, his nerves firmly contained and controlled. This wasn’t the time to be scared or thoughtless. He’d need his wits out there if he wanted to come back in one piece. “I doubt Minato has much trouble keeping up with him though. They’re stronger than a good portion of the jounin inside of this village. Haven’t you heard what people are calling them?”  
  
“I believe I haven’t,” Shibi said as he closed his long trench coat over his own armour.  
  
“ _’The Yellow Dyad.’_ ” Shikaku smirked, “Fitting, isn’t it?”  
  
“Indeed.” Fugaku agreed, “It gets tedious to use their other monikers.”  
  
Inoichi rolled his eyes, “You’re just pissy because you don’t have a cool nickname like they do.”  
  
Fugaku scowled, earning a slap on his shoulder from Mikoto who shot him a pointed look. _Sit the fuck down Uchiha._  
  
The group continued to pull on their gear, sending comments back and forth until, suddenly, Tsume spoke up,  
  
“Hey… isn’t that the kid that hangs around the blondies?” The entire group turned around, searching for the small Hatake kid they’d heard so much about… only to find a small boy trying to put on armour far too large for his tiny frame.  
  
“What the hell…?” Mikoto’s eyes widened in horror, “Why- they wouldn’t make him do it too…” She turned around to look at her fiancé, “Right…?”  
  
“…That boy is far too young for something like this.” Hiashi frowned, “There’s no way he’ll survive on a war front.”  
  
“Naruto did.” Chouza reached for an onigiri stuffed in his pocket, “Maybe he’s strong too.”  
  
Shikaku grimaced, “I’m pretty sure Naruto wasn’t shaking and on the verge of tears back then. I’d know, I was there.” With those words, Shikaku reached for a katana and strapped it on his back, his feet already carrying towards the boy who tugged at the clasps in frustration.  
  
He moved in between the crowded mass of shinobi who tried to get themselves as prepared as they could before heading out. A couple of teenagers bumped into him, not caring to apologise, so deep within their own problems and worries to even notice. Shikaku didn’t care and couldn’t blame them.

* * *

  
  
Kakashi couldn’t do it. He wasn’t strong enough- _not good enough_. A sob tore through his throat. But before another one could escape him- a pair of black pants and shinobi sandals drew his attention. Someone was standing in front of him. Kakashi looked up, seeing someone he could vaguely connect to the Nara clan. They all had stupid pineapple hair like that.  
  
“What are you doing?” The teenager asked.  
  
Kakashi, for a moment, wanted to cry and claim there’d been a mistake… but he couldn’t do that. “I was summoned too.” He quietly said instead. It tore at his soul to admit that. For as long as he could remember, all he wanted was recognition, but now that he had it… he wanted nothing to do with it.  
  
“Can’t believe they summoned a kid.” A young woman said, and Kakashi turned to the side and noted an Uchiha coming up to stand right next to the Nara. Before long, a whole range of clansmen stood around him. Nara, Aburame, Hyuuga, Uchiha, Inuzuka, Akimichi, Yamanaka… all of them.  
  
“It’s poor taste.” The young man from the Uchiha clan frowned and looked the boy over- seemingly scrutinizing him. Judging his worth.  
  
“Orders are orders.” Shikaku crouched down and reached for Kakashi’s wrist-guards, “We do what we’re told. That’s our job. You can stick with us, kid. Naruto would flay our asses if anything happened to you.”  
  
Kakashi looked down, his vision misty and unfocused. “Un.”

* * *

  
  
Kushina, Nagato, Minato and Naruto packed the last of their scrolls, the barrier seals and hid the remaining evidence of them ever having been in the clearing in the first place. It was time to move out.  
  
Naruto’s clones had kept track of Suna’s movements- although they rarely got close enough to identify whom from the Puppet Brigade they were up against. That was the least of their problems though. The Puppet Brigade wasn’t moving on their own- they were leading the rest of the shinobi forces from Suna themselves. With people who had such an overwhelming amount of strength(like the Puppet Brigade) to lead their troops, Suna had been able to tear through Konoha’s defences.  
  
It didn’t help that they had focused their strength on a single area if the bloodbath in the south was anything indication. In response to Suna’s new tactics, all the teams on the border had moved in as backup- only to get cut down like weeds. That left the border without any defence. It was a protocol failure from Konoha, but also something they’d been unprepared to face. The fighting with Suna had been rather tame in comparison to Kumo and Iwa. For that reason, not as many shinobi held the western front.  
  
It was their mistake. A mistake they now paid dearly for making. Over a hundred Konoha and Uzushio shinobi paid the price for their blunder.  
  
“Do we have a safe route to take?” Nagato inquired.  
  
Minato nodded, “We need to move in an arch to the north unless we want to come face to face with Suna’s entire army. They’re moving towards the capital though, so that’ll give us some time. I have marks all around that area so when we get close enough; I can use the Hiraishin to move us.”  
  
“Good.” Kushina growled, “Because I don’t fancy chasing these assholes. I’d rather stand in front of them, all smug and ready to kill the lot of them!”  
  
“Be careful what you wish for, Kushina-san.” Naruto secured his backpack on his back, “This is going to be your first encounter with an actual army. It’s nothing like a skirmish in the woods.”  
  
“Then what’s it like?” She pressed, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
“It’s just chaos.” He spared her a glance, “Stick together with Nagato-san, watch each other’s backs or someone will come up behind you and stab you in the neck.”  
  
“Lovely.”  
  
“It sounds better than it is,” Naruto smirked, channelling chakra to his feet and legs as he launched himself towards a nearby branch- taking off at a fast pace with his team following right behind him. “If you move in teams of two, you’ll be able to take down your opponent’s faster and without wasting too much energy. It’s going to be a long fight.”  
  
Minato couldn’t stop a smirk of his own, “Haven’t you heard? I’m the fastest person around this place.”

  
  
 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By Ell**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By Ell**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sandaime ain't no saint. He doesn’t become a pacifist until after the The Third Shinobi World War.


	66. Hide the evidence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I've got lots of time!" *two days later* "I'M DYIIIING!!" (_　_|||) RIP *Programming VR with a dead expression*
> 
> I have no idea what happened this week! Suddenly, there was so much stuff to do that I hardly had time to sit down and write. Because of that, when I tried, I just got writer's block because I tried to force it. D: So I had to finish my project first. #CauseOfStressHasBeenEliminated  
> It >should< get better after this Friday (HOLIDAY BITCHES! v(￣∇￣) ). I can't believe I've managed to keep this pace with updates for an entire term in Uni and nail my exams. I deserve a cookie. *pats on the back*
> 
> Sowwy itz a tiny winy bitz late! ⊙︿⊙

Kakashi's fingers clutched the dark grey fur of Kuromaru, Inuzuka Tsume's ninken companion. After his father failed to turn up for reasons unknown, he'd been left stranded with a team that didn't take very well to being stuck with a five-year-old child. That's when Tsume stepped in. She noticed the scent of ninken on him and wasn't able to keep her protective instincts at bay.

With a teammate who was already scared shitless of her, she proposed a trade between the two teams. They happily obliged and thus the trade took place.

It hurt a little, but Kakashi decided that it was for the best in the end.

Kakashi's team consisted of Inuzuka Tsume, Aburame Shibi and a girl from Uzushio called Uzumaki Nanami. A red-haired medic who couldn't speak a word. She was mute.

However, he much preferred this team to the other one he'd been with previously. The first team was a combat team.  _This_  one was mainly for tracking and scouting. They would all see combat at some point, he understood that, but it wouldn't be as much as many other teams... or so he hoped.

He had mixed feelings about riding on Kuromaru's back though...

"I can run too." He said, feeling uncomfortable at the special treatment he was given.

"If you move, I'll break your legs," Tsume growled. For people who didn't know her, that sounded quite scary (it sure did to Kakashi) but it wasn't with ill intent. Tsume was a frightening person in nature. Wild and untamed but loyal and kind at heart.

Nanami placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, smiling down at him to reassure him. It worked, but only a little.

"Why?" Shibi pushed up his glasses stoically, "If you reach the battlefield while tired, you will be amongst the first to die. It is not kindness, but rather, strategy."

Tsume growled again, her teeth bared as the group moved towards their spot in the large battalion.

Meanwhile, Kakashi turned to Nanami, seeing how she rolled her eyes and smiled down at him once again.

Yeah... Nanami made him feel  _a lot_  better.

"The damn blondies better leave some of those bastards for me out there." Tsume's fists clenched and Kuromaru barked a response. She nodded, "You got it, Kuromaru. Fifty-fifty, partner." Another bark left the wolf-like ninken, and Kakashi's grip on its fur tightened.

There was a lot of people lining up to set off towards the capital. They received their coordinates just a short while ago and immediately got ready to leave. From what Kakashi understood; they would reach the battlefield almost half a day before the Suna forces did. Konoha was closer and with the quick warning from the front, the mobilisation and the distance they had to travel- Suna would be forced into a confrontation with Konoha and Uzushio no matter what they did.

There was still hope to turn the situation around.

It wasn't until the battalion started moving that Kakashi spotted his father at the podium to the side of the large mass of shinobi. The silver-haired man was looking over the crowd, desperately searching for someone while at the same time standing beside the Uzukage who overlooked their forces from a good vantage point. It was unusual for Kage's to be seen on the battlefield, but Kakashi supposed that this was too important to let others handle alone. He couldn't help but question if that meant that Naruto wouldn't be in charge anymore? That made him a little sad in a strange sort of way.

However, he had to remain focused.  
  
  


* * *

 

Sakumo's stomach was on the verge of turning itself inside-out. He couldn't find his son, and they were already moving out! What the hell was he supposed to do?! He couldn't leave Kakashi to fend for himself out there; he'd die!

Suddenly, something silver caught his eye, and he quickly zeroed in on it in the large crowd of shinobi.

It was Kakashi, and he was looking straight at him with a look in his eyes that Sakumo had never seen on his son before. He saw unquestionable fear, but also strength and courage. A mix that shouldn't be allowed to be present in the eyes of a five-year-old child.

Kakashi then nodded once, firm and brave before his attention moved towards the front again, and they passed by with a pace that kept increasing step by step.

Sakumo's fingers trembled as Kakashi passed him, but he forcefully dismissed the urge to leave the Uzukage's side and run to his son. If Kakashi could swallow his fears and do what his duty required of him- then so could he.

It was out of his hands...  
  


* * *

 

Naruto withdrew his fingers from the ground, "They've stopped." He informed, "If it's for a break or something else... I don't know."

"Alright, how far is left until you can use that flash-thing you do?" Kushina turned to Minato, her usual temper hidden for now.

Minato closed his eyes, focusing on the small beacons of chakra across the land. Hiraishin seals he'd placed in various places over the years. "I can feel them, but they're still too far away. We need to move a few more kilometres east."

"To Konoha, in other words." Nagato frowned in thought as he looked down at the map once again. "If we take into account the speed Suna is travelling, our own forces and our estimated arrival, we'll have another hour to spare. Thirteen hours before the confrontation."

"It's not a lot of time," Naruto admitted grimly, "We're going to clash in the open if we don't find a better way to handle this. Our advantage is the forests of this country, so we need to act before they reach the open grass steppe around the capital. If they do, our job is going to become a great deal more difficult."

"Any ideas?"

"Several." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small scroll. He unravelled it. It was just a plain white scroll. "Right now we have the element of surprise on our side. They don't know that we've already mobilised our forces. We need to use that while we still can. The best thing we can do is to confront them in the forest where there is ample amount of cover. If we do that, we'll have a large advantage and might be able to cut down our own loses significantly."

"How are we meant to take them by surprise if we have an entire army of our own that's waiting for them? They're bound to have sensors." Nagato didn't look very convinced at how they could possible take someone by surprise with a whole battalion in the area, "Perhaps they're not as good as the two of you, but they'll notice us."

Naruto opened his mouth to explain, only to get cut off by his partner-

"No, they won't." Minato disagreed, realisation quickly dawning on him, "I made a seal a couple of years ago that's a vast improvement to our standardised chakra concealment seals." His heart began to beat faster in excitement while he noted his partners smile and couldn't quite suppress his own as a result. Naruto was a damn  _genius!_ "Naru's sensor skills are difficult to bypass, so I played around with the chakra concealment seals to make something that could trick even him. I wanted to be able to hide during our spars and use the Hiraishin where he wouldn't be able to predict it." Minato smirked faintly, "The chakra concealment seals we have right now can conceal our chakra pool to the point of a squirrel or deer... but it's still easy to detect for a seasoned sensor who knows what to look for. However, with my take on the seal, your chakra pool will appear to be around the size of an ordinary bug."

Minato then chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I was planning on saving it for my Seal Master Exam."

Kushina closed her gaping mouth, a fair bit irritated that Minato had managed to create such a seal without a Seal Master title to back it up. She had to step up her game if she wanted to become a Seal Master before the Sissy Girl-Boy!

"Don't worry Mina; you've got a lot more seals to pass the Seal Master Exam's with." Naruto smiled softly, "You just need a bit more theory to flesh it out."

"Thank you." Minato felt his chest warm pleasantly. Praise from Naruto was the best kind of praise.

"Alright." Nagato held up a hand- ignoring the pouting Kushina and the love-doves for now, "This seal of yours; how difficult is it to replicate? If we want to place the seal on the entire battalion, we're going to be forced to make them by hand. We don't have the time to make anything too advanced."

Kushina snorted, "Speak for yourself. I can make a hundred clones without much problem, dattebane."

He'd... forgotten about that.

"You and I will be in charge of producing them." Naruto explained, "We're the only ones that can handle the memory-load. Mina, can you make two seals we can use as a guideline?"

"Of course." He nodded, "I can make them right now. It's not very complicated."

"Alright." Naruto clapped his hands together to gather his thoughts and to gain their attention, "This is the plan for now: Mina will draw up our seals." Minato smiled. "Kushina and I will study them until we get close enough to use the Hiraishin. Once we do, we head straight to the capital and set up a base. When that's done, we'll start mass-producing these things. Nagato, you're in charge of sealing them up in a storage scroll and making sure we've got enough for the entire battalion." Nagato listened intently, "Mina, Nagato, you two will make your way towards our forces and intercept them. Make sure all of them puts on a seal and its activated before they reach the grass steppes. Kushina and I will rig the forest while you two are away." Kushina smirked. She could work with that.

"Understood!"  
  
  


* * *

 

Arashi was in the very front, leading the large Konoha and Uzushio forces towards war and death. The battle of Uzushio was still fresh in his mind. So many people died during that battle that another one would forever be too soon in his opinion. War was nothing but a tragedy in and of itself.

The reason why he was so quick to volunteer Uzushio's help for this upcoming fight was due to the simple fact that without Naruto and Konoha... Uzushio would have fallen. There would have been no Uzushio shinobi to help Konoha in their times of struggle and hardship. There would have been no Uzushio, not Uzukage, no nothing.

Not only that, but he didn't want to see a world like the one Naruto had come from. If he could help prevent that, then he was prepared to do anything within his power. Knowing that Naruto was out there, fighting for the world that they all lived in and shared... it didn't sit right with him to do nothing. Knowledge was a burden, but it was a burden he was prepared to carry if it meant that the world remained and the people continued to find reasons to smile.

This was about more than mere villages.

Arashi's thoughts came to a half when from seemingly nowhere, a three-pronged kunai soared through the air and embedded itself right in front of them.

Instinctively, the man came to a stop and reached for a kunai- allowing it to drop down from his sleeve and into his hand. Sakumo did the same, too on edge to immediately connect the kunai to that of Namikaze Minato.

However, the sudden adrenaline spike ebbed away when a bright yellow flash appeared right above the shining piece of metal- only to reveal two teenage boys; both with a fire shimmering deep within their eyes.

"Namikaze-san!" Sakumo breathed, voice laced with surprise and a hint of relief.

"Sakumo-san, Uzukage-sama." Minato took an impatient bow, "If I may?" He continued, not caring for proper greetings. There wasn't any time to waste.

"Naruto-san sent you, correct?" Arashi smiled knowingly. For as long as he'd known Naruto, the man always had a plan.

"Indeed, Uzukage-sama." Nagato confirmed, "We've got a plan."

"Well then, let's hear it."  
  
  


* * *

 

Naruto placed yet another explosive tag at the back of a tree, low enough to be hidden by the bushes and grass. They were potent, charged with more chakra than ordinary explosive tags. As bile-inducing as Minato's accident all those years ago had been, Naruto learned from it. While it wasn't something he wanted to use with Minato around, he couldn't justify _not_ using it when it could mean the survival of his comrades.

With a forest rigged with invisible barrier seals that only redirected and blocked chakra rather than solid mass like humans or animals, the corridors they created would help guide the force of the explosions- tunnelling them. Unless people had enough mind to take cover, they would be either torn apart or burned to a crisp. It would create corridors of fire all throughout the forest... and hopefully, they wouldn't burn the place down...

It was an ingenious use of the barrier seals that Uzumaki's learned to help them counter elemental ninjutsu. It was their take on the simple earth wall Iwa liked to use. Uzumaki's were either wind or water natured most of the time, which meant that they didn't have many defensive techniques outside of their fuinjutsu. It didn't help that their upcoming battlefield didn't have any water, thus no water ninjutsu.

However, it was the use of seals such as this that made the Uzumaki's so feared. The traps they could create by such, seemingly, harmless seals were enough to cause seasoned shinobi to tremble in fear.

In a strange and sort of twisted way, Naruto understood why most people wanted them dead. Fuinjutsu, while a complex art to master, could counter most things if the user had the imagination and knowledge to do so. People were right to fear a whole  _nation_  of them.

Still, Naruto smirked, he'd never been more proud of his heritage. He knew that the Uzumaki's had been amazing fuinjutsu masters, but it was very different to read about it and seeing it with your own eyes.

Indeed, people were right to fear those who'd mastered the art of ink and paper.

Naruto placed yet another seal at the base of a tree, simultaneously noting Kushina rig another invisible barrier seal close by.

"What made you think of something like this?" Kushina wondered, "If it works the way you say it will, this trap is not a little disturbing, dattebane."

"See it this way, Kushina," He'd foregone the honorifics, it was too tiresome to keep using. Thankfully, Kushina didn't seem to mind. "Would you rather face five hundred Suna shinobi head on or half those numbers?"

"Point. How many are we expecting on our side?"

"Four hundred and fifty, I believe. Most of our shinobi are holding down the Kumo and Iwa front. These were the only ones we could spare at such a short notice. All things considered, Suna's incoming forces aren't that big. Iwa is technically a bigger threat than us since they've already invaded their country."

Kushina furrowed her brows in confusion, "So Suna is pushing into ours... while at the same time losing ground in their own?"

"Yup. It's just as stupid as it sounds. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that our country has a lot of farmland which Iwa doesn't. Iwa's farmland is located on the northern coast, not the inland. That's just stone and mountains, so there's no way Suna would be able to get close enough to claim it." Naruto then shrugged, slapping another explosive seal on a tree, "Besides, the hostility between Suna and Konoha stemmed from the fact that Suna wanted part of our land in return for a treaty, or alliance, whichever suited them best at the time. Sandaime Hokage said no, and the Kazekage flipped his shit."

She snorted, "I'd pay to see the Kazekage throw a hissy-fit, dattebane!" Kushina barked a laugh.

Naruto chuckled. Honestly, he wouldn't mind seeing that as well. He'd never had the pleasure of meeting the Sandaime Kazekage. Perhaps they met when-  _or if-_ he'd been reanimated, but he honestly couldn't remember. It was several decades ago.  
  
  


* * *

 

Minato bit his lip, eyes to the horizon and his foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

Arashi smiled with a hint of humour and turned his attention back to the map that Nagato and Minato had brought with them. It would seem that Minato didn't like to be apart from a  _certain someone_  for too long.

Aside from that: the plan they'd made was good. Excellent even. Naruto was ingenious and knowledgeable about warfare in all their forms. Be it invasion, siege or ambush.

When he got some free time, he'd need to pick the former Hokage's brain about these things. As a newly, kind of, appointed Kage, he still had a lot to learn. Being Uzukage was a challenge, but most likely not as big of a challenge as it was to be the Hokage of the most influential and powerful nation on the continent. It took a special kind of person to handle such things. Someone like Naruto.

At that moment, Sakumo hurried through the large crowd of waiting Shinobi. Pushed past the last line and pulled to a stop right beside the only present Kage. "Everyone's got the seal. We're good to go." He informed.

Minato's gaze turned from the horizon to the silver-haired man, "I'll deliver the news. Nagato-san can lead you the rest of the way."

The smirks he got in return only made him leave faster.  
  
  


* * *

 

Naruto was sitting with a large pile of chilli-powder bombs in front of him. It was well past a hundred of them. As to why he had them in the first place... well, let's just say that people were still looking for evidence about a certain prank he'd pulled on the Anbu a few years ago. He wasn't about to leave that stuff laying around. Duh.

Besides, he could store heaps of stuff on him. On his right arm was a custom-made storage seal, inspired by an ordinary storage scroll. The crux was to get it to do what he wanted it to do... without killing him. Storage scrolls didn't contain oxygen, which was why you couldn't use them to transport the living- only the dead. Sealing things into an actual person was not an easy task. More chakra was required, and far more knowledge about the human anatomy than ordinary people cared to learn(Thank you, Sakura-chan!). People who made seals and placed them on humans while at the same time not explicitly designing them to fit the human anatomy... it didn't end very well for them. He remembered far too many of his clones who'd spontaneously burst by a random kunai that'd slipped past the arrays of his seal and stabbed him from within during the first stages of testing.

...it wasn't pretty.

It was also the same seal he'd ended up using to carry all the things from his past life to his new one. Of course, all those trinkets and items were safely locked away in a sealed storage room inside the Hokage monument, but even so, it was an excellent way to carry a shitload of stuff for missions, and especially during wartime.

Naruto placed a hand on the hidden seal of his right arm and pushed a little bit of chakra through his fingers to gently take hold of it, pulling it outwards to make it momentarily visible. If he didn't hide his many seals by pushing them beneath the surface of his skin, he'd look like a random yakuza thug right about now.

Who would have thought that Sakura's constant nagging would serve a purpose in the end? If he hadn't caved back then and agreed to stop inking himself everywhere, then he would never have invented the method of hiding seals in general.

To be fair, he wasn't exactly  _hiding_  his seals. They were always there. Just... on a different layer. Nobody ever said you  ** _HAD_**  to put your seals exclusively on paper or skin. And rock or whatever.

As for his Shiki Fujin seal... He couldn't fix that one on his own since he wasn't the one to put it on in the first place. That meant that Kurama had to help him physically pull the seal deeper by destroying the tissue behind it, regrow everything on top of it and then finally destroying the skin the seal was inked on. What was left was a Shiki Fujin seal resting in between his skin, fat and muscle tissue.

It hurt like a  **bitch** , so he  _definitely_  wasn't doing that again!

If he wanted to flash his seals for whatever reason, he just had to push a lot more chakra into them to make the ink-lines visible again, but they were forever hidden underneath his skin while inactive.

Naruto rolled one of the chilli-powder bombs between his fingers, "Better keep the Inuzuka away from these..." He mused aloud. He wouldn't want to get in between an angry Inuzuka and their destroyed nose. That could kill  **anyone**.

He visibly cringed.

Suna was going to have a  _bad time_  in this fight...

In a way, he sort of hoped they'd be smart enough to close their eyes when the bombs went off. Getting that shit in their eyes wouldn't be very fun. Like,  **AT ALL.**

At that moment, in his peripheral vision, something black sped across the grass steppe- moving directly towards him in a hurry.

Naruto turned to face the small black fox, Yuro, as it jumped over a small dent in the ground. He'd asked Minato to summon him before he left to deliver the plan and the seals to the battalion. Yuro was quick on his paws and an excellent spy. Catching Yuro was like trying to capture your own shadow. The fact that he was a fox and able to use the various tunnels made by animals throughout the forest was merely a bonus.

"Did you manage to get any IDs?" Naruto shouted.

"I did!" Yuro called back, his small paws carrying him the final distance until he came to a stop right beside the blond jounin. His legs gave out, causing him to drop to the ground in exhaustion. He'd been running for hours on end to get back in time to report his finds.

Naruto waited, allowing the poor thing to catch his breath.

"You were right Naruto-sama!" He panted, "It's Chiyo who's leading the Puppet Brigade!"  
  
A small frown crossed Naruto's face, "Did you see any other notable people around?"  
  
Yuro tilted his head to the side, "I've gone over all the information you gave me about Suna and their shinobi... but the only one I could find that matched your descriptions was the girl with green and orange hair. She's about your age, I think."  
  
_Pakura, huh?_  
  
"I see." He ran a hand through his hair. _Damn._ "Thanks, Yuro-san. You've done a good job." He allowed himself to smile, albeit a little forced, as he leaned forward and scratched the back of the foxes ear.  
  
He didn't know that much about Suna and what shinobi they had during the Second Shinobi World War, but if Pakura, Chiyo and the rest of the Puppet Brigade were present... then that would be **more** than enough of a challenge. From what he could remember; Pakura was terrifying on the battlefield... and let's not even talk about the damn sand-hag!  
  
Naruto grit his teeth.  
  
This could get ugly.

  
  
 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By Ell**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By Ell**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you have any idea how hard it is to find cool Suna shinobi to use in this story? Someone recommended Monzaemon Chikamatsu and I was like "Oh, cool! Gotta do some research!" AND FIND NOTHING! Also, his probable age made him kind of sketchy to use since Chiyo already has the technique he invented (the ten dolls). *sadface* He's most likely dead or an old geezer at this point.
> 
> The only one I could find that had a "reliable" age to be alive during the second war is Pakura and Chiyo. I think I'll resort to designing my own Puppet Brigade at this rate. If you guys know any shinobi who're ALIVE during the SECOND world war- send me a comment. I can hardly find people for the third, lol.
> 
> Btw, 860 subs? What! (why's it growing so fast!?)  
> Love you guys!  
> Check out the new piece of fanart from Ell! (IT'S SO CUTE!)  
> Now leave a comment. ψ(｀∇´)ψ


	67. Boom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! ლ(｀∀´ლ)

It was silent, death itself would have been louder than that of the battalion from Konoha and Uzushio. The tall grass on the steppe in between the forest of Tadasu no Mori and Hi no Machi, their capital city, swayed in the ominous wind underneath the star-filled night sky. It moved like seaweed underneath water, like silk in the wind- promising a nightmare if you closed your eyes for a moment too long.

The air was suffocating, thin, and far too cold when all they wanted was to feel warm and safe.  
  
Arashi was crouched low to the ground, right beside Naruto who'd dug his fingers into the earth to pinpoint where their enemies were. They were both so still that one could have believed them dead if you didn't look close enough. Behind Naruto was Hatake Sakumo and Namikaze Minato, both of which kept close attention to their comrade and friend along with the dark forest up ahead. Behind Arashi was another pair of red-heads; Nagato and Kushina.   
  
Further back was Taketa, Hamada, and Risa, all three of which were in charge of the three different groups the battalion would split into once the fighting began.   
  
The plan was simple; herd Suna into the part of the forest that was rigged to kingdom come. After that, wait until the survivors entered the steppe, hurls a large-ass Rasenshuriken on them to split them up, pinpoint the big dogs and lock down on them, box the rest of them in with as many Konoha and Uzushio shinobi as they could... and kill them all.  
  
That was the idea anyway. Of course, there was a lot more to it than that... but who cared about the fine print?  
  
Naruto's senses stretched far and wide, his chakra travelling through the nature network deep within the ground as he searched for the familiar disturbances that occurred whenever something disrupted the natural flow of chakra in the air and earth.  
  
The first one that appeared reminded Naruto of a single firefly, a soft light- a chakra signature that held much to be desired. A moment passed, and another appeared... then another and another.   
  
What was once a single firefly was now hundreds.   
  
"They're here." Naruto breathed, yet his voice carried far enough to reach those around him. "They have scouts; six on each side. Hold off the barrier tags until they move back and regroup."  
  
"Yush." Kushina's hands formed a Ram sign, preparing to activate every single one of them once Naruto gave the signal.  
  
_**'You'll need my help if you want to activate all those tags on your own.'**_  Kurama took up a lotus position inside of their shared mental plane and zeroed in on all the tags Naruto had flittered across the forest.  _ **'You weren't holding back when you made these... were you? You'll set the entire forest on fire.'**_  
  
Naruto mentally grimaced, _'...The more enemies we manage to take out with this trap, the fewer body-bags we'll have to carry home with us.'_  
  
Kurama bared his teeth, a long and foxy grin stretching across his face and revealing just how much he was going to enjoy blowing the forest to shit.  _ **'I've missed this part of you, kit. I was growing tired of all the sappy bullshit you've been up to.'**_  
  
  _'That 'sappy bullshit' feels nice. You should try it.'_ He rolled his eyes. He'd never stop cuddling Mina!

Kurama snorted loudly;  _as if!_   ** _'Heads up little kit, you've got company.'_**  
  
Naruto's fingers curled into a fist as he refocused on the forest up ahead. The grass of the steppe was tall enough the hide them all from view, but only if they made an effort to remain hidden. Thankfully, there wasn't anyone (besides himself) who liked to rush into the fray without a plan. Plans were good. Not having plans... not so good.  
  
"They're slowing down... moving back..." He tilted his head to the side, following the scout's movements as they headed back towards the main force as per common practice for scouts across most nations. "They're regrouping. It's earlier than I'd like... but it'll have to do. Wait for the signal Kushina, they're almost there."  
  
She nodded, remaining silent in favour of pinpointing all the invisible barrier seals she'd put inside the forest.   
  
"Sakumo-san, give the first signal." Naruto ordered, "Nagato-san, give the first signal."  
  
Sakumo raised his hand _'Get ready.'_ Asmall shift in the air occurred, right behind them as the entire battalion readied themselves to leap to their feet and charge forward when the second signal was given.  
  
Nagato did the same,  _'Be prepared.'_  Red-headed Uzumaki's across the entire steppe mentally prepared themselves to put up additional barrier seals to separate the incoming army. On Nagato's second signal, they would raise six red barrier walls which would allow them to overrun the forest survivors... if there were any.   
  
At that exact moment... The wind disappeared.   
  
Everyone stopped breathing.   
  
Naruto opened his eyes and whispered,  _"Boom."_  


* * *

 

Kakutasu Ran was an average Suna shinobi. An average chunin, an average man in both looks and skills, a member of an average clan with an average Kekkei Genkai.  _Actually,_  his Kekkei Genkai was pretty useless at the best of days. For you see, the Kakutasu clan had the unique ability of not requiring water to survive. It was a Kekkei Genkai born from the deserts where water didn't exist and where most people didn't venture. They had no clan secrets, no amazing jutsu's passed down for generations and certainly no clan compound. They were far too small to justify having an entire compound of their own.   
  
Even so,  _even so!_  Ran dreamt of a time when the Kakutasu clan would be viewed with renown and respect. Right now, the only thing people did when they heard of the Kakutasu clan was to raise a questioning eyebrow, laugh at the ridiculous name, or flat out ask why they weren't farmers when they obviously weren't cut out to be shinobi in the first place.   
  
However, Ran was going to change all of that. Once he returned to Suna, he'd do so as a shinobi worthy of recognition for all the battles he'd participated in and the way he'd protected Suna's reputation and name. He'd return as a proud Shinobi of Suna!

However, that was easier said than done. He wasn't particularly good at being a shinobi. He'd taken the jounin exam six times and failed every single one of them. At the age of twenty-four, the odds for a promotion was turning bleaker.   
  
Ran sighed, his callused fingers running through his short brown hair. Somehow, in some way, he had to do something which could earn him a promotion outside of the exams- or else he'd remain a chunin for as long as he lived.   
  
He looked around himself, an army of four-hundred-and-fifty Suna shinobi surrounding him. They were almost by the capital where the Fire Daimyo lived. If they could reach him and put his head on a spike before Konoha was alerted, then they'd be able to throw the entire nation into turmoil. Hopefully, that would do something to ease the burning fury inside of the Puppet Brigades leader; Chiyo. She'd lost her son to the White Fang, you see. Everything was her plan; take out Konoha's entire front line with air-borne poison that would knock them out, press them on information and them hang them up in trees like Christmas decorations.   
  
Personally, Ran thought it was a bit much. He didn't particularly like Konoha, but the war was hard for everyone. Especially the kids he'd seen tortured and killed by his own team. They couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen. Regardless, they were too young to die.   
  
...Maybe he wasn't cut out to be a shinobi after all?  
  
Something white in the corner of his eye made him stop, earning an irritated groan from Yama, the shinobi right behind him who'd ended up walking straight into him when he'd suddenly stopped.   
  
"Sorry, sorry! I thought I saw something."  
  
The other shinobi rolled his eyes, head wrapped in cloth to keep him protected from the sun, "Nothing's going to make you a cooler shinobi Kakutasu, so stop trying. It's not happening."  
  
Ran's glared at him, "I  _did_  see something! I can prove it!" He stomped towards the white thing he'd seen before, Yama reluctantly following. Ran then stopped and pointed down at the, unbeknownst to him, hidden seal, "There! I told you! Now, take it back, what you said before!"   
  
The man wasn't listening though as he squinted his eyes, crouching down to get a better look at the 'thing' that the Kakutasu discovered.   
  
"Hey! I'm talking to you, idiot!"  
  
"Shut up!" Yama snapped his head around and hissed, "I'm trying to see what it is, you moron!"  
  
Ran scowled, stepped to the side and crouched down as well.   
  
"What's the big deal?" He huffed, "It's just paper."  
  
But as those words left him, the other man froze as if though he'd been petrified. Slowly, ever slowly, he reached forward- removing the leaf that covered the surface of the white paper. The  _seal._  
  
The blood drained from both of their faces.  
  
Yama turned around just in time to shout a, much too late, warning,  _ **"AMBUSH!"**_  
  
Ran couldn't move, and the last thing he saw was a rather beautiful explosive tag active and erupt into a raging inferno to swallowed him whole.  


* * *

  
  
Minato reeled back, eyes wide in both horror and shock. He'd known the plan; understood it and accepted it for what it was, but seeing it was  _different_. In his own mind, he'd predicted several smaller explosions occurring throughout the forest, killing the ones who weren't paying close enough attention to their surroundings.  
  
What he wasn't expecting was a forest that  _ **roared**_  when the force of the explosions bent the trees outwards and made them  _ **sizzle**_  and  _ **crack**_  from the chakra shockwave that pushed the fire through the barrier-made corridors. Tunnels of raging fire scorched everything in its path as it travelled at speeds that made it hard for  _anyone_  to dodge. It continued a fair distance out of the forest as well- setting the tall grass on fire and blocking any possible exit- lest they ran through it.   
  
The  _sight_  was terrifying... but the  _sound_  was  **worse.**  
  
The screams of men and women being burnt alive carried over the entire grass steppe, loud enough to make a lot of them look away from the sight and try to block the horrible sound. It was one of those things that would forever be burnt into their memory and retina.   
  
Minato's attention was drawn back to Naruto when said blond raised one of his hands- a signal, "Kushina, cut the cords." He said, voice entirely even and seemingly unaffected by the nightmare-inducing sight before them.   
  
Kushina couldn't do anything, too shocked and frightened to follow orders.   
  
Nagato took hold of her arm, firm, and grounding as her eyes sought out his, " _Kushina-chan_ , cut the cords!" He ordered.  
  
Kushina's hands changed from a Ram sign to a simple Rat sign. "...Kai." Voice dazed and soft, almost like a whisper.  
  
The cords broke.  
  
The screams intensified, and Kushina bent her head forward, hands coming up to cover her ears in a desperate effort to mute the madness.  _It was too much!_  
  
Meanwhile, Minato stared into the back of Naruto's head. He'd always known that Naruto was strong, powerful and capable of fighting just about any battle. But he hadn't realised he was capable of being so  _ruthless_...  
  
"How are they moving?" Arashi asked- all business.   
  
"As intended." Naruto informed, completely neutral, "The chilli-bombs have blinded them, and they're disorientated- I can tell that much from how they're moving. When the first one leaves the forest, we'll send in group A and B. They'll box them in from the sides and make sure none of them gets away."  
  
"Good." Arashi nodded with approval. "This should have picked off a fair number of them. If you can find this 'Chiyo', then give me the coordinates, and I'll take care of her before she starts causing trouble."  
  
"It's hard to tell who is who. I think it's best we wait and see who's going to come out f-"  
  
The following words died on Naruto's tongue, and his eyes widened.  
  
_"Crap."_  


* * *

  
  
Everything  _hurt_  and half of his face felt as if though someone had poured _acid_  on it. He stumbled to the side, hand reaching for a nearby tree, lest he'd fall over.  _Fire,_  he thought. The gold dust that had previously shielded him fell to the ground, and the moment it did he began to look around himself to take in the situation.   
_  
Bad idea.  
_  
He only had time to notice something  **red** , and before he could register what it was, Rasa bent forward, screaming in agony when his eyes suddenly started to  ** _burn_**. He didn't know what it was, only that it felt like someone was trying to gouge his eyes out of his skull.   
  
It was only through discipline and sheer willpower that he managed to surround himself with his gold dust once more.  With the use of his chakra, he wrapped the cool gold around himself, making it carry him up and out of the strange mist in the hope of getting away from it.  
  
The gold dust carried him over the tree crowns and enough to the side to avoid the vast clouds of rising smoke. Once the wind brushed against his cheek, he convinced himself it was safe enough to open his eyes- only to feel that the horrible pain wasn't nearly as intense as before.   
  
Angry and painful tears rolled down his cheeks from the irritated tear ducts, stinging the already terrible burn on his face. Judging by the fact that he couldn't see much from his left eye, he guessed he was partially blind from now on.  
  
However, now that he was away from the chaos, he allowed himself a moment to think. The entire forest was set ablaze, and the screams of his comrades could still be heard from the ground beneath him. It was clear as day that they'd walked into an ambush of epic proportions.   
  
"Goddammit!" Rasa spat furiously. If Chiyo hadn't convinced the council and the Kazekage to push through the damn Konoha border and head straight for Hi no Machi to kill the Fire Daimyo, they wouldn't have ended up in this _ **fucking situation!  
**_  
Konoha  _knew._  Uzushio  _KNEW! THEY ALWAYS DID!_  
  
Rasa's heart thundered in his chest, anger, rage, and pain coursing through his entire body at alarming rates- screaming at him to seek medical attention.  
  
The wind shifted, the smoke in the air turning directions and forcing him to move yet again. The gold dust carried him, bringing him to the only open area he could see, and that wasn't entirely engulfed in fire.  
  
The air was better there; less scorching and much easier to breathe. For the sanity of his own mind, he tried to ignore the sound of his own people dying. He sensed that many of them were still alive, but they'd lost a third of them- at the very least.  _If they were lucky_.  


* * *

  
  
"A Magnet Release." Sakumo breathed, zeroing in on the young man who stood at the edge of the forest. "He made it out."  
  
Arashi chuckled quietly, "I'd be surprised if he didn't. The Magnet Release belongs to the Kazekage clan. Do  _not_  engage that guy, you'll die."  
  
"This shit just got a whole lot more complicated." Naruto grimaced. He couldn't kill  **Rasa!**  If he died, Gaara would never be born. What the hell was he supposed to do now!? There had to be something!  
  
Naturally, an idea popped into his head, and he couldn't help but smirk. It would seem like he struck gold with this one. Literally.   
  
"Sticking to the plan?" The Uzukage inquired. Honestly, he was fine with whatever. The most important part of the plan was done. The only thing left to do was to separate the remaining forces and start picking them off, and judging by the appearance of the Suna shinobi before them... it wasn't going to be the hardest fight they'll ever participate in.   
  
Naruto had really come through for them on this one.  
  
"With a slight adjustment," Naruto looked over his shoulder, locking eyes with his partner, "We're on the chibi Kazekage. We're gonna take him alive."   
  
Minato's expression flickered from surprise to determination before he nodded. "Understood."  
  
"Take him alive?" Sakumo stared at his blond commander in confusion, "Why would you want to take him alive?"  
  
"It's not a bad idea," Arashi realised, gaze moving from Naruto to the Suna shinobi who'd begun putting out the fires that prevented people from entering the grass steppe. "If we can take him alive and use him as a hostage, we can set up terms for Suna's surrender. If they refuse, we'll just kill him. We've got nothing to lose on it."  
  
"They won't refuse. The Kazekage clan is way too valuable to them." Naruto assured, "Taking him alive is going to be a damn pain in the ass though. Unless I'm smoking something, that shit over there is gold dust. If he can use it as freely as I think he can... we're gonna have a bad time." He looked back at his partner, "Mina, we're gonna have to find a way to move him from this place- preferably away from this entire battlefield. Too many people are going to get caught up in our fight otherwise."  
  
"I placed a lot of my seals around the area. I've got more than enough to get us away from here."  
  
"Good." The wind caressed Naruto's skin, embracing him, "Now, the only thing left to do is to greet our visitors."  


* * *

  
  
Rasa used his gold dust to create an opening for the increasing number of people who tried to leave the forest. It allowed them safe passage as many of them hurried onto the grass steppe with nothing short of relief.  
  
"Rasa-sama!" One of them called- a young woman who looked fine for the most part, if not for the missing hair on one side of her head. From the looks of it, it'd been burnt off. "What's going on?!"  
  
"They knew we were coming." He stated flatly, which was obvious enough, he felt. "Regroup with your team and check for survivors. We still don't know where they are... keep your guard up."  
  
"Rasa-sama!" Another called- a man this time. "How did they know!?"  
  
Rasa clenched his fist tightly, willing himself to take a deep breath before he snapped and said something he'd regret.  
  
"Oh, I don't know." He chose sarcasm instead. Sarcasm was always a good option. "Maybe the damn shinobi we hung up in the trees?" Fucking Chiyo and her revenge-filled bullshit streak! This was all her fault!   
  
At least the man had the decency to look embarrassed by his question.   
  
"Rama-sama!"  
  
_"What!"_  The teenager finally snapped, pissed beyond belief as it was. The last thing he needed was more people asking him stupid questions when the bloody world was on fucking  _fire!_  
  
Several shinobi pointed towards the horizon.   
  
With a growl threatening to tear through his throat, Rasa turned around, eyes on the horizon and searching for anything of interest. It didn't take long to realise what everyone had seen. In the far off distance, there was a blond man. Or teenager, it was hard to tell from where he stood.   
  
He was also walking towards them.  
  
"Who is that?"  
  
"Konoha scum!"  
  
"It's all his fault!"  
  
"Get him!"  
  
"Kill him!"  
  
"Shut up!" Rasa shouted, eyes ablaze with fury. " _Shut. Up._ None of you will be doing _anything._  Is that clear?"  
  
The shinobi around him took a step back, biting their tongue as Rasa himself began to move forward, each step calculated and even despite the severe burn to his face and the loss of an eye.  
  
He saw the blond teenager stop- because now he could see that it was in fact only a teenager, much like himself. Rasa couldn't be sure, but it looked like his eyes were the colour of gold. He'd never seen or heard of a person with that colouring before. The uniform was all Konoha though, that much he knew.  
  
"I believe you guys took a wrong turn somewhere." The shinobi's voice carried in the wind- all the way to Rasa's ears and caused a chill to course through his body. Logically, he was too far away to hear something like that, which meant that the blond was a wind natured shinobi and could make his voice carry.   
  
Rasa channelled chakra to his fingers, the gold dust around him rising into the air to easier defend him if things escalated... which it undoubtedly would, of that he was convinced... and he was right.  


* * *

  
  
With Sage Mode activated and enhanced his senses, Naruto held out his hand, a cerulean sphere of chakra rapidly forming. It grew larger, and larger, humming in the air and making the grass around him pulse like a beating heart.   
  
"You've made a mistake coming here." He warned, almost gently. Despite the number of Konoha and Uzushio shinobi Suna had killed, Naruto wasn't taking any pleasure in killing people he'd deemed comrades in another life- _friends._  He'd promised Gaara that he'd try to make it better for his country. How was never specified, but it was enough for Naruto to feel a significant amount of guilt for what he'd just done... and would continue to do.   
  
Naruto took another few steps forward, stopping once he deemed the sphere in his hand big enough. He wouldn't be able to use more than one of them... and if he wanted to get the desired effect, he'd need to make it big.  
  
_**'It's ready.'**_  
  
_'Here goes...'_  
  
Wind gathered around his Rasengan, spinning faster and faster as it cut the air and emitted a sound that reminded him of nails on a blackboard. The more wind chakra he pushed into the technique, the easier it could be seen. It was heavy- the technique, it always was. Yet, compared to the Bijudama- this was nothing.   
  
Naruto raised it above his head, a spinning orb the size of a large carnival carriage.   
  
The wind tore at the ground around him, pulsing with enough chakra to fill the surrounding area with specks of sparkling blue energy. An energy that was strong enough it became visible to the naked eye.  
  
"Here I come."

* * *

  
  
Rasa and the Suna shinobi at his side, the newly arrived and furious Chiyo, and the rest of the Puppet Brigade watched the teenager's technique grow more and more for each passing second. At the back of their minds, a vague recollection of where such a technique had been spotted before teased their memories.   
  
Chiyo took a step forward, prepared to skin the lone boy alive for standing in her way and her quest to avenge the life of her only son.   
  
_"Don't. Move."_  Rasa warned dangerously, already on the verge of strangling the woman for her actions. She  _would_  be brought to justice for this!  
  
Chiyo stopped, but not before throwing a dirty look at the young man.   
  
Rasa didn't care. He didn't care if she was the commander of this little  _operation_ \- the moment the ambush came, he deemed her unfit and stepped up to take over. She'd done enough harm already.   
  
"Here I come." The wind suddenly whispered.  
  
The blond pulled his arm back, raised his leg... and  _threw_  the sphere straight at them, shaving the tall grass as it passed over it.   
  
The young Rasa felt his eyes widen in sudden realisation, the hair on the back of his neck rose up in a chill, and a single word left his mouth before he could even acknowledge that it'd passed through his mind at all.  
  
" _Shit._ "  
  
  
 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By Ell**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By Ell**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By Ell**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By Ell**

**ɷ◡ɷ**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Holding a box of Cactus chips* Chips, anyone?
> 
> Hint: Kakutasu means 'cactus'. v(￣∇￣)


	68. We're going to die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, do you know how hard it is to squeeze in the time to write a Chrismas Card while writing this story too?  
> Panniiiicc. (_　_|||)
> 
> On that note, go check out the first part of my short Christmas Card series I've just posted! It's a cute, romantic and tooth-rotting little fic about our favourite blonds <3 'Holiday of Misery' sounds promising, doesn't it? ( ՞ਊ՞)
> 
> Enjoy! ♡ඩ⌔ඩ♡

Nagato's heart pounded in his ears, muting the raging storm of a technique in Naruto's hand. He couldn't take his eyes off of it, too filled with alarm and adrenaline to think clearly. He'd known, he'd heard the tales and stories from fellow Uzushio shinobi more than enough times to  **know,**  but he realised that he  _hadn't_  known at all, not even a little.

Why had the Uzukage and the Hokage allowed a nine-year-old boy onto a battlefield that made the bravest of men shake in their sandals back then?

... it was because Naruto could put that  _fear_  right back into his enemies. That was why.

The chakra in the air, so powerful it  _sparked_ , made the hair on his arms stand up in warning. The air felt static, heavy and thick. Just who was Naruto? Who was this blond Uzumaki whose potential and power  _frightened_  him?

Nagato's fingers dug into the ground when Naruto drew his arm back- only to throw the technique across the steppe and straight towards the Suna shinobi.

For just a moment, a short and barely noticeable moment, Nagato  _felt_  how vast and bottomless Naruto's chakra pool was. Like a black void of power that bubbled with restlessness.

_What the_ ** _hell_**   _was he?_  Because an ordinary Uzumaki  **wasn't**  it!

* * *

 

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Rasa screamed, his legs channelled with so much chakra it almost turned visible. He leapt out of the way from the incoming chakra projectile, his gold dust encasing him like armour in a last  _desperate_  effort to protect himself as he went.

The technique passed him by, the magnet release allowing him to push himself further away and to a safe enough distance to not get caught in whatever that  ** _thing_**  would do when it reached its target.

The moment he turned back around to see if everyone got away, a loud explosion, a  _pulse_  strong enough to knock him off his feet, hit him and sent him straight into the ground like a sack of rice.

Before him, in all its majestic horror; the technique exploded, its size expanding even  _more_  and began rotating fast enough to dig a giant crater into the ground. The screams didn't last long, just for a second or so, right before the spinning sphere of chakra turned red for a brief moment and then turned back to its original cerulean blue.

Rasa had never seen a technique like that before. A technique that completely and utterly  _minced_  its target. This was bad; this was really,  _really_  bad!

* * *

 

Minato watched how his partner's technique tore through their enemies without any difficulty at all. Many of the Suna shinobi weren't fast enough to move, their burns and chilli-powdered eyes too much of a handicap to do so.

The initial shock of seeing Naruto's plan in action had begun to slowly subside. In its place was an overwhelming _need_ to stand by his side- to protect him should anything happen. This was war. Naruto realised that and held nothing back because of it. It was past time that he himself learned that war was gritty and dark. There was no such thing as fair battles.

Minato didn't wait for an invitation. He reached out with his chakra, locking down on the Hiraishin seal located on Naruto's chest- right above his heart, and disappeared in a bright yellow flash.

He touched down right beside him, crouched down with his gaze fixed upon the regrouping Suna-nin who, unsurprisingly, looked pretty pissed and traumatised.

"Mina." Naruto acknowledged, something unreadable in his voice. It could have been disapproval, but Minato didn't care enough to analyse it.

"We're partners." Minato stated firmly, voice filled with conviction, "Where you go, so do I. I'm not going to stand back and watch you fight alone. I don't care if this isn't part of your plan because it is  _now_. Get used to it."

The corner of Naruto's lips tugged, his heart swelling with warmth, "Alright." He said, his hand moving up to the hilt of the Kusanagi, "I'll get in close, and when I do, move up behind him and take us out of here."

Minato smirked, "Do you think he'll barf?"

The first time he used his Hiraishin with Shikaku, the poor Nara had thrown up in a nearby bush. While he wouldn't admit it aloud, he found it quite funny. Thanks to Naruto's random comment regarding the vertigo Hiraishin caused for most people, Minato realised that it was an excellent way to knock his opponents off their balance. A deadly tool in the right hands.

"Let's find out," Naruto smirked right back.

* * *

 

Rasa pushed himself up from the ground, fingers trembling until he clenched his fist tightly, eyes narrowing and his blood boiling at the sight of the newly arrived blond. He couldn't sense him, his chakra signature was practically invisible... yet he stood right  _there!_ Now that he thought about it, he'd not been able to sense the other one either until he'd used that fucked up technique of his. What was going on? Even if they used chakra concealment seals, they shouldn't be able to hide to that degree.

Something was off, and Rasa didn't like it. If the other blond was able to hide in the vicinity without anyone noticing him...

Rasa grimaced, he didn't want to think about that, yet now the thought wouldn't go away.

Were the two of them the only ones here?

His answer came when the first blond raised his hand above his head, grasping the hilt of his sword. From out of the tall and swaying green grass, a single red-haired man appeared. The man was an Uzumaki, that much anyone could see because of the shocking hair-colour he had. His hair was long; long enough to hide its tips in the grass despite the multitude of braids that helped keep his long strands away from his face and make the length more manageable.

Rasa almost reeled back in shock. The white and red haori the man wore was easy to identify. It belonged to none other than Uzumaki Arashi, the Uzukage of Uzushio. A man who'd made Kage at the age of twenty-six and formed even closer ties to Konoha upon his inauguration, the leader of a nation of Seal Masters and chakra tanks.

If the shock of seeing the  _bloody_  Uzukage wasn't enough, he couldn't feel his chakra signature either.

"They knew from the start..." He realised, a phantom rock lodging itself in his throat. "They let us through and waited until we walked into their ambush." His gaze locked on the Uzukage and the ever-neutral expression on the man's face.

Rasa's stomach twisted in horror when he saw the man raise a hand of his own... and hundreds of people slowly stood up behind him. Countless people whose faces littered the Bingo book.

_We're going to die._

* * *

 

"Mina," Naruto said softly, "When I pass him, pick us up and get us away from here." He repeated, "We need to be quick."

"Got it." Fighting side by side with Naruto meant learning how to improvise at any given moment. There were no training-wheels with him, and Minato quite liked that. It made things pretty exciting.

Naruto took a single step forward, two clones popping into existence right behind him. His golden eyes hardened, and the clones took up position, "You know what to do." The copies smirked as they bent their knees, hands cupped and easy to reach with his feet.

At the same time, Arashi began to move forward, each step coming a little quicker than the previous one until he was in a full-blown run with the entire Konoha and Uzushio force coming up behind him like a tsunami rushing for the shore.

Meanwhile, Rasa stepped forward, hands rising into the air as he _roared._ The ground shook, the earth splitting as twisting ribbons of gold dust rose from the field and formed a vortex around him and his comrades. The wind howled around them, like a desert storm in the summer seasons.

_No one was getting through his defences!_

Naruto stepped into the cupped hands of his clones, grasping hold of their shoulders. He leaned forward, aligning his body a little bit better. "Let's show Tinker Bell over there how it's done."

"Right!"

Minato had to take a step backward, the density of the chakra that Naruto's clones began to channel into the base of their hands was borderline insane. If they released that much chakra underneath Naruto's feet, he'd- oh.  _Oh!_

"I'll see you on the other side," Naruto meet Minato's bright blue eyes with his golden ones.

"I'm the one with 'Flash' in my name. Aren't I supposed to be the flashy one?" Minato asked mildly; a three-pronged kunai firmed gripped in his hand as adrenaline began pumping through his veins.

"You can flash me whenever you want." He winked. The chakra around him reached its peak, and his clones took a deep breath.

_"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"_

* * *

 

Kakashi's breath trembled as he sat on top of Kuromaru, his fear and shock were turning his muscles stiff and hard to move. Claiming he was scared would have been a gross understatement. He didn't _want_  to be on a battlefield, much less rush straight into a  _bloody_  vortex of gold dust that moved around like whips in the air and snapped against the ground.

But he had no control over Kuromaru's movements, and when the large wolf-like ninken began to run, Kakashi closed his eyes because he wasn't ready to face the demons of war just yet.

_"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"_ Echoed across the battlefield.

Kakashi sucked in a sharp and surprised breath and opened his eyes, seeking out the source of the familiar voice. It wasn't hard to find Naruto. Not when he stood in the centre of the battleground like a defiant force of nature.

Suddenly, the sound of an air cannon shook the battlefield and made everyone pause.

* * *

 

Naruto shot forward like a spear, straight into the raging vortex of gold dust and tore through its defences like an unstoppable bullet.

Rasa didn't have enough time to do much of anything. One moment the Maelstrom was on the opposite side of the battlefield...and then in the next, he was right by his side, their faces almost close enough to touch.

Everything slowed down. Rasa could see the Maelstrom pass him by and at the same time extending an open palm towards him. His eyes were gold, and his pupils slit horizontally. The telltale sign of a Toad Sage.

There was no way he could react fast enough to counter a seasoned Sage.

_"Frog Strike."_ He heard.

An invisible force collided with Rasa's body, powerful enough to push his chest inwards and launch him across the entire steppe, but before he flew to Kingdom Come- a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder... and everything  _disappeared_.

* * *

 

Abruptly, the vortex of gold lost its strength, and as if though gravity only just then started to work- the gold dust fell into a useless heap on the ground.

Rasa, Naruto, and Minato were gone... with Rasa's gold dust left behind.

* * *

 

With one of the biggest players on the battlefield gone, Konoha and Uzushio picked up their pace, their morale greater than ever before, and Suna's lower than thought possible.

Six red barriers rose from the ground, separating the remaining Suna-nin into smaller groups- making it easier to pick them off.

Everything descended into chaos.

Arashi flashed through the signs of his signature move; a technique that mixed wind- and water ninjutsu;  _"Hiden: Tropical Hurricane!"_ A twister mixed with water erupted from his hands and shot towards the biggest cluster of puppets he could see- pushing them back and tearing through the majority of them at the same time.

Suna summoned a massive wave of wind; attacking with all their might. As a result, Uzumaki's across the entire steppe activated invisible barrier seals to counter the element.

Taketa roared, kicking up grass and soil as he threw himself into the fray- not far from insane. His part of the battalion was right on his ass and more than happy to join him.

Hamada was on the right, a katana in each of his hands as he veered off to the side to prevent anyone from escaping.

Risa took to the left, her medical vest standing out like a beacon of hope to the shinobi behind her as they entered the woods and disappeared into the darkness.

Nagato swung his naginata; the long weapon keeping many away as he jabbed in all directions.

Kushina, while still scared, used her chains to keep Nagato's foes in place just long enough for him to strike them down.

Shikaku kept to the right side of Inoichi and Chouza, the trio doing their best to keep it together and remain focused on their teamwork and environment. It was difficult, but Shikaku was good at guiding them through the battlefield.

Fugaku and Mikoto found that, while it was still a terrifying experience, they flourished during combat.

Hiashi and Hizashi danced around their opponents like mirrors of each other, their moves identical but so sharp and deadly that people dropped left and right.

Shibi, cool and calm as they came, used his Kikaichu to swarm his opponents, sucking their chakra away. It allowed others, like Tsume, to finish the weak Suna-nin off with little difficulty. Said Inuzuka tore through her opponents like a wild and rabid dog, growling and barking profanities without filter or care. Kuromaru, if he could have, would have joined her.

Kakashi, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as capable of handling himself as the rest of them were. He could see how scared everyone was, but they were capable of swallowing that fear and channeling it into their actions instead. Kakashi couldn't do that, and his hands trembled as he stood behind Nanami who defended him to the best of her abilities.

He wasn't weak. If he'd been weak, he wouldn't have been allowed on the battlefield in the first place. But strength meant nothing when he was too scared to move.

Meanwhile, Sakumo had a growing suspicion that he might have done something to anger a certain Puppet Master... because she was screaming  **bloody murder**  and trying to turn him into noodle soup. What was that about her son again?

* * *

 

The moment Minato put his feet back on the ground, he was abruptly struck across his mouth and jaw, and he sailed through the air- along with his partner whose arm had been right in front of him as he'd teleported them away. He couldn't have dodged it, nor could Naruto have moved his arm in time to avoid hitting him. Everything just happened too quickly and the position of which he'd used to reach them both was straight in Naruto's line of fire.

It was either get hit or miss them both. Neither very ideal.

Naruto's previous momentum continued without pause, and it shot him straight ahead and into the ground several yards ahead- Minato right by his side. Meanwhile, the Frog Strike to Rasa's chest did the same and launched him to the right instead.

Minato had moved them to a grass steppe to the east, closer to the ocean. The grass wasn't nearly as tall there, and couldn't hide much of anything even if they tried, nor was there anywhere to run. There wasn't a single tree on the horizon and seemed to be the perfect spot to fight a person capable of upturning the earth without much issue. It was only the three of them now.

Rasa coughed, his chest aching horribly and his sight swimming.  _What happened?_  Either he was suddenly deaf, or it was quiet as death around him. He rolled to the side, dug his fingers into the ground and used all the strength he had to push himself up and onto his feet.

Rasa stumbled, the strange vertigo throwing him off balance as his world spun ninety degrees to the side and he fell back down on his knees and let out a moan of pain.

On the other side of the steppe were Naruto and Minato, both groaning and trying to stand up again while disoriented and looking less than graceful.

Naruto instinctively reached out, his hand moving to the back of Minato's neck to steady him the best he could, and to see if his partner was alright after getting struck so hard across the face. It was bound to hurt, and Naruto felt incredibly guilty about it.

Minato's entire face hurt as blood dripped from in between his lips. He groaned, head throbbing and pulsing in pain. A hand suddenly grasped his neck, a callused but warm hand that made him relax long enough to note that they were alive and fine. For the most part anyway.

His blue eyes sought out his partner's golden ones; they were filled with worry, concern, and guilt. It wasn't Naruto's fault though. Shit happened, and getting smacked across the face was the least of their problems.

Naruto almost cringed. Minato had appeared and then teleported them away far too quickly to allow him the time to move his arm out of the way. It was a miscalculation of speed and strength. Now Minato looked like he'd been punched by him.

"Mina-"

Minato spit out some blood... and the shards of three pairs of teeth.

Naruto stared at him in shock, but his partner didn't seem to care very much.

"Let's go," Minato said instead, unconcerned about the fact that he'd just lost a tooth and a half in total. It hurt like a bitch, but he'd rather have a  toothache for the rest of his life than being dead.  
  
His golden gaze hardened as he gave a firm nod of agreement. Worry could come later. First, they had to take care of Tinker Bell and his portable sandbox. 

* * *

  
  
Rasa stretched his chakra and senses as far as he could, but he still came out with nothing. His familiar gold dust was nowhere to be seen, and for just a brief moment, panic gripped his heart.   
  
However, as the jounin he was, he couldn't let that stop him. His taijutsu was useless as he wasn't a close-combat type. Long-range was his specialty, and therefore he'd need to stay out of close combat if he wanted to survive. He'd rather not be hit with that damn 'Frog Strike' again. It hurt like a  **son of a bitch.**  
  
Aside from his pathetic taijutsu, his ninjutsu- if you didn't count his Kekkei Genkai, was mediocre at best.   
  
Which basically meant that his gold dust was everything he had. The thought unnerved him. His gold dust never failed him since he always carried it with him in a gourd when he was outside of Wind Country, but now he didn't have it anymore, and that left him practically defenceless against his enemies.   
  
He'd grown complacent with the state of his repertoire and now had to pay the price for it.   
  
Yet, be that as it may, Rasa wasn't part of the Kazekage Clan for no reason. The magnet release was far from limited and specifically focused on the different minerals in the earth. Each person within the clan had a special connection to one set of minerals. Rasa's was gold, and it was the easiest one for him to control. He could bend it to his will and mine it from the dunes of sand in the desert. The Sandaime Kazekage's was iron, and his father before him titanium. Sadly, the later was a very rare mineral and hard to come by.   
  
The magnet release was very hit and miss in that regard. Being born with the Kekkei Genkai was a gift in and of itself, but connecting with a mineral that was close to impossible to come by was not exactly ideal. It was the reason few people from the clan became famous for their abilities- no matter how amazing they were. Rasa shuddered to think of someone capable of bending actual  _sand_  to their will, but if someone like that appeared, he'd most likely turn  _green_  with envy. Sand contained more than one mineral, and in a desert, such a person would be impossible to beat.   
  
But regardless of all those things; the earth across the continent had one thing in common: its core was the same. That meant that underneath the topmost layer there were rare minerals- just like in the desert. If he could reach deep enough, he might be able to find more gold dust to use. Perhaps not much, but enough to defend himself and put up a hell of a fight if he was desperate enough. 

* * *

  
  
Minato pushed the pain to the back of his mind and focused on the Suna-nin just up ahead. The man was on his knees, seemingly dizzy and unable to stand.   
  
That suited Minato just fine, so he didn't hesitate to draw a kunai and run straight for him with Naruto right by his side. If they could reach him and knock him out before he became a massive pain in the ass, the two of them would be able to head back to the battlefield and help the others. Not knowing what was going on at that front unnerved them.  
  
But as it was; luck was part of a shinobi's repertoire as well, and one couldn't be a shinobi without a little bit of luck once in a while.   
  
As such; the ground  _moved._

* * *

  
  
Rasa almost smirked, the ground was rich and untouched. Gold, among other things, was spread underneath the entire steppe in large belts. The response was instantaneous, and the land moved to give way to the gold dust that crawled to the surface.  
  
For a moment, he'd been scared of being defenceless. But no more. The gold responded to his call and slid underneath the soil, drawing ever closer to his aura of chakra.   
  
Rasa looked up, unable to hide his small victory from his two startled opponents.  
  
This wasn't over.   
  
It had merely just begun. 

 

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Yellow Dyad Christmas](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/51/6/1514064777-merrychristmas.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**♡ඩ⌔ඩ♡**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit went doooown! ୧☉□☉୨ I think... I just knocked out Minato's teeth... Whoops?
> 
> Side notez: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO WRITE KICKASS FIGHTS ALL OF A SUDDEN!? And I did NOT take that Gale Palm from Boruto. *Sniff* I hate Boruto, it's NOT CANON! (ﾉಠдಠ)ﾉ︵┻━┻ I had to sit and listen to Naruto OSTs to get my creative wheel rolling. Ever since I first saw the movie Blood Prison, I've been in love with 'Arabesque Chaos'. Which one is your favourite?
> 
> And yay, guys! 910 subs!? You're all crazy, and I love you <3 Who knew there were so many Mina/Naru fans out there?


	69. It's nothing personal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My inspiration has been as dry as Suna's desert lately. But never fear, I shall persevere! As I've stated many times before: I'll always upload the chapters once they're done. When I get my mojo back, the update speed will pick up again~
> 
> Enjoy!

The stars twinkled innocently and all-knowing. What he wouldn't have given to be able to see what the stars did. When it was at its worst, he felt as if though the stars mocked him and his worry- laughing at him from afar.

Times were changing; like the tides of the ocean and the winds of the mountain.

Jiraiya didn't mind change- so long as it was a good change. This time, however, he couldn't be certain of which one it was. It was impossible to predict the outcome of a battle that never occurred in his previous life. Their work was catching up to them, and the battle outside of Hi no Machi was proof of that. So far, the survival of Uzushio appeared to be the biggest difference in their history- the largest ripple in their time. But with change came uncertainty, and Jiraiya, for all his knowledge and ability to improvise when the need arose; felt rather lost and helpless.

When history changed, he'd always been there to see it happen, observed it from afar and intervened if the need arose, but this time that wasn't possible. Kumo and Iwa were up their ass the moment they allowed themselves a moment of rest, and it was growing more difficult to keep them at bay.  As a result, the three of them-  _the Sannin_ , had to remain where they were and hold down the fort at the Kumo border.

Faith was a strange thing, he felt. He had faith in Naruto and his ability to lead. The man was a Kage and arguably the strongest one to have ever lived, but he couldn't help but worry. Ever since they travelled to the past, their relationship with one another had taken a slightly different turn. They were still teacher and student, but now they were also father and son. For that's what Jiraiya felt when he looked at both Naruto and Minato these days. They were his  _sons_. Then again, Orochimaru and Tsunade more or less considered them pseudo kids of their own- so he supposed he couldn't hog them to himself anymore. That suited him just fine.

Even if they both cared for each of them, Orochimaru and Tsunade had their favourites. Tsunade adored Minato and his kind and optimist personality. Whenever she needed inspiration for their novels or someone to talk to about anything regarding domestic life or which wallpaper would look best where(since no one else would listen) that's who she went to. Orochimaru preferred Naruto and his interesting take on life and its meanings. They talked about a lot of things; battles, jutsus, strategy, Naruto's old life, and even what improvements they both wanted to see around the villages in the elemental nations. Meanwhile, Jiraiya himself was the all-rounder and the one with a laid-back personality that meshed perfectly with all four of them. Like the red thread that connected them all into one big family. Because that's exactly what they were.

Which meant that his worry about his sons was completely and perfectly reasonable.

The campfire by his side crackled in the night, an owl hooted in the distance, and Orochimaru flipped to the next page of his book. It was a quiet and peaceful night, ominous for sure, but only because they knew what took place across the country and right by their precious capital city. Tsunade rested her head on Orochimaru's lap, staring into the fire with a mind entirely occupied with thoughts of two blond teenagers. If anything happened to Minato and Naruto, she had no idea what she'd do. Most likely march into Suna and pummel the Kazekage into the ground with her bare hands. At least she knew Orochimaru and Jiraiya would be right behind her- holding the bastard down for her.

When Kousuke arrived and informed them about the incoming battle by the capital, they were all shocked. It wasn't often the three of them failed to predict these types of things. Needless to say, they weren't prepared for it, and it took Tsunade a good eight hours to find enough herbs to make antidotes for a whole battalion. If it weren't for Orochimaru's help along with all of their summons, they wouldn't have gotten it done in time.

There was a lesson to be had in all of this though; one couldn't be enough prepared these days. For each year that passed, fewer things would be predictable concerning future events. Hopefully, that wouldn't be a bad thing. _Hopefully..._

"I never thought I'd wish to be in the middle of a battlefield as much as I do right now." Tsunade murmured as a soft breeze lifted a couple of strands of her bangs.

Jiraiya couldn't do more than agree.

"They will manage," Orochimaru assured, eyes still fixed on the first rendition of his book. It wasn't finished by a long shot, but it was getting there, little by little. Due to his inexperience at writing anything aside from research papers and reports, it was taking much longer than, let say, Jiraiya who was coughing up a book every other month it felt like. Then again, Jiraiya already knew everything he was supposed to write, which meant that his job was a little bit easier. After all, Orochimaru could only write as fast as Naruto grew and worked to change the world.

On the plus side; he had some epic battle scenes to write once Naruto gave him all the details when they got back to Konoha.

"They will." Jiraiya sighed in resignation, "Doesn't make it any easier though." Especially for Naruto. He had no idea how he was coping with being thrown to the top of the ranks so suddenly. Sure, he was a Kage in another life, but he'd purposefully stepped away from that level of responsibility for a reason. He was still healing and finding his place in this world.

"It's not without opportunity." Orochimaru placed a hand on Tsunade's head, "If they return with favourable results, the council will have no choice but to step back and leave him in peace. If nothing else, he'll be able to live without being openly goaded in front of Minato again."

"Naruto needs to tell him about that. About Kurama." Tsunade raised her hand and rested it on Orochimaru's thigh, "Minato deserves to know."

"In time he'll learn about it." Jiraiya sighed once again, "But it's not up to us to decide when that is. If Naruto says he's not ready yet, then he's not ready. Whether we like it or not; it's  _his_  life that'll change when it gets out, and it's his burden to bear and to protect. What he decides to do with it is his business. I also understand why he's not telling him. People are searching for Kurama and Naruto himself, and if people find out he's the jailor and also partnered to Minato then-"

"-Minato will be in danger." She finished, heavy at heart.  _Why couldn't things be easier for them...?_

"To put it  _mildly._ " The Toad Sage's lips pressed into a thin line, "You've seen what Zetsu can do. Minato is a lot stronger than he used to be, but he's still no match for our real enemies. No," He closed his eyes momentarily,  "Naruto will keep his secrets for as long as he can to protect him. He would never purposefully put Minato in harm's way- he loves him way too much for that." His gaze then refocused on the twinkling stars, "Losing Minato would destroy what's left of him."

* * *

 

Rasa felt himself get slower and increasingly tired as time dragged on. So far he'd been able to keep them away from him, but it was only a matter of time until he wouldn't be able to do that anymore. His previous injuries pulsed with a dull and foreboding ache that only seemed to get worse the longer it was left untreated. The two blonds were ruthless and kept coming without pause- maintaining the pressure on all sides. His blind eye proved to be a massive disadvantage, his field of vision was severely limited compared to what it used to be. It was also disorienting to fight with a single eye. The fastest one- the  _Yellow Flash_ , had no problems taking advantage of his injuries and always seemed to appear on his blind side when he'd least expect it.

Add the Flash and the Maelstrom whose strength was overwhelming; then it wasn't so hard to imagine why he was losing. This wasn't how he'd dreamt of dying. He knew he'd die in the field one day, at least that's how he wanted to die when it was his time to go, but not yet. There were still things he wanted to do, and if he allowed it all to end here, what had he amounted to in his life?

Naruto felt Rasa's strength waver and steadily decrease the longer and harder they pushed him and danced around his whips of gold dust. Their tactic was simple; tire him out. Waste his reserves.

Once upon a time, Gaara lost to this very tactic in one of their longest spars ever recorded(sparring Kage's was a big deal). It was a spar that lasted for hours and only ended when Gaara ate through his entire reserve along with Shukaku's. Against Naruto's Sage Mode, and its ability to heighten the senses of the user, he was able to dodge  _anything_ , and  _everything_  Gaara threw at him. Add Kurama to the mix and his chakra cloak, and that meant that Sage Mode was a permanent addition to his set of available skills as long as his chakra cloak still worked. If he couldn't use his chakra cloak, then he was limited to the number of clones he'd left to gather nature chakra in his stead.

In the grand scheme of things; this fight wasn't much different from that time. If not much easier.

The only significant difference between Rasa and Gaara was their chakra reserves and endurance. Gaara was a Jinchuuriki; Rasa was not. In short, Rasa was nowhere near Gaara's calibre and was thus considerably easier to handle compared to his future son. Had it not for the fact that they needed Rasa alive; he would have been dead already.

It made Naruto feel a bit smug that Gaara grew to be so much stronger than his father... than again, it's not like Rasa was all that old yet. Perhaps it was unfair to compare the two of them, much less if one of them was a Jinchuuriki to boot. Only beasts could compare themselves to the hosts of chakra constructs. Like Kisame for example.

While Naruto was doing just fine, Minato was beginning to feel the consequences of fighting in a battle over twice the normal length to what he usually did. He preferred to be quick and precise, not to drag things out and play on his stamina to keep him on top. He couldn't do that- it wasn't his style. Still, he could see how fighting  _Tinker Bell_  this way would be their best bet, but it still sucked when he felt himself get slower and began to fall behind.

Despite that, Minato felt exhilarated fighting side by side with Naruto. It wasn't perfect, but they were learning how to better complement each other with the more mistakes they made. This was the first time they had to fight an enemy of this strength and stay coordinated at the same time, so one couldn't expect them to work seamlessly straight off the bat.

It was Naruto's job to keep Rasa occupied on his right side- where he could still see. With tons of clones and the original mixed in, Rasa was having a hard time trying to block them all. For what it was worth; he was doing an admirable job. Minato, on the other hand, used Naruto's clones to teleport him to Rasa's blind spots and attacked from there. The result was counterattacks and defensive attacks that weren't as finely tuned, and thus used more chakra than Rasa could rightly afford.

* * *

 

Rasa's adrenaline-filled roar carried over the grass steppe as he crouched down and slammed his open palms to the surface of the earth, and a massive wave of gold dust shot out from his vicinity like a tsunami- crushing everything in its path.

Minato inwardly cursed, sought out the seal on Naruto's chest, flashed to his side, caught hold of him, used his Hiraishin to move them both away, and finally landed a fair distance away from the angry Suna-nin. Even if Rasa was running low on chakra, he was still dangerous... And apparently still capable of causing a natural disaster.  **Lovely**.

Minato watched the gold wave crash down on the grass steppe, making the ground quake from the impact, so he braced himself and allowed Naruto to steady him. "We need to do something," He warned. At this rate, they would be here all night, and in a landscape nobody would recognise.

"Soon. He's still too fast, and right now he won't let you get close enough without you running the risk of getting hurt." Naruto took off to the side with Minato right beside him. With a sealless burst of chakra, a dozen of clones appeared and scattered- all of which headed towards the steadily tiring Suna-nin.

"Do you have a plan?" Minato inquired, eyes fixed upon their opponent who tried to follow their movements with his gold dust.

Naruto smirked, "I always have a plan." He answered, jumping up and over a golden whip with shameless ease.

Minato couldn't help but chuckle as he followed suit, "That you do. Let's hear it then." He was always up for one of Naruto's plans. They were always the best kind of plans. 

* * *

 

Naruto let out a long-suffering sigh, "I'm bored of this." He complained as Rasa scowl in offence, "I expected a lot more from one of Suna's famous magnet releases. Aren't you supposed to be Kazekage material? Man, what a letdown. I was looking forward to this too."

Rasa's eyes lit up with fury, and the gold dust all around them rose up and into the air like an ominous storm. Attacks came in all directions, and it took a considerable amount of effort to dodge them all. But they did, of course.  
  
It would seem Rasa didn't like being told he was less than impressive.  _Go figure._

"And all  _you_  seem to be able to do is dodge, you pathetic worm!" Rasa spat heatedly and aimed another spike towards Naruto's blind spot- or so he thought it was. It wasn't, not really. He didn't have blind spots anymore. Not with Kurama and certainly not with Sage Mode active.    
  
Rasa's senses abruptly  _screamed_  for him to move, so he did, _just_ in time to take a quick step to the side and narrowly dodged a three-pronged kunai aimed for the back of his head.

Minato glared and reached for another one, "Mind your words  _Tinker Bell_ , or I'll make the right side of your face just as pretty as your left. It would be a  _vast_  improvement at this point." Nobody insulted  _his_  Naruto!  ** _Nobody!_**

Rasa growled and swiped his arm to the left, a golden wave of dust rose up behind him and rushed towards Minato, said blond quickly disappeared and then reappeared a safe distance away from the attack. Naruto's plan was working. Goading the Suna-nin made him use larger and much more chakra demanding techniques. At this rate, they'd run him dry.

Satisfied with having the Flash running again he allowed himself the time to respond, "I'd like to see you try, princess. The only thing you can do is run like a coward! At least he's got the balls to stand there and take it like a man!" Rasa taunted as he created sharp spikes that followed Minato's every move, bursting up from the ground right behind Minato's running feet.  
  
Minato bristled but opt to focus on dodging the hell-spikes that were on his heels.  _He'd get him. Oh, yes, he would!_

Naruto merely grinned and leapt in front of the brunet, aiming to steal his attention, and unconcerned by Minato's brushes with death. He quickly received it and began to dance around Rasa's defences with ease. With Sage Mode it wasn't hard to predict nor keep up. No doubt that frustrated Rasa even more.

"Oh, don't mind him, Suna-nin-san," Naruto chuckled and jumped over a golden whip with the grace of a cat, "You see, he gets  _very_  upset when people insult me. He almost had a woman thrown in jail when she slapped me this one time. Let me tell you; she didn't do  _that_  again." He then turned around, reached his hand out and caught hold of a soaring kunai, spun back around and hurled it towards the brunet who barely just dodged- his eyes wide as saucers as it cut a bit of his fringe off. Naruto though just continued to talk, "Mina as this habit of becoming  **very**  scary when someone is mean to me. So you really should watch what you're saying. He might accidentally kill you, ya' know."

"Bastards-" Rasa only just managed to throw himself out of the way of Naruto's ever-approaching kicks, though the tip of Naruto's sandal scraped across his chest.   
  
The Flash was hard enough to deal with since he was faster than his gold dust, but the Maelstrom was different. Perhaps it was because he felt himself losing that his mind overexaggerated the strength of the Uzumaki... But it felt like he was a mouse trying to take on a fully grown tiger. An  **impossible**  feat. With his strength waning and his pain starting to cloud his movements and mind, it was growing difficult to keep up.  
  
As if that wasn't bad enough; life had a habit of hitting you once you were already down.

From seemingly nowhere, something hard collided with his back and made him stumble forward- only to get a spin-kick to the face and forced him to the ground with a painful  _'thud.'_    
  
For a moment, everything turned a stark white, and the dull pain of his burns renewed-like shards of glass cutting through flesh. It didn't last for long as something hurled him up on his feet again and sent him flying through the air.   
  
It was only instinct that allowed him to use his gold dust to catch his fall, or else he'd most likely break a bone or two. His remaining chakra couldn't carry the weight of the minerals anymore, so it fell to the ground into a harmless and glittering pile.  
  
The world was hazy and moving, his vision swimming and his hearing dull. If only he hadn't been caught in the ambush, then he would have been able to put up more of a fight! Fighting two strong jounin at the same time with injuries such as his wasn't favourable, much less two  _famous_  jounin!  
  
This was just his  _damn luck!_ If he managed to survive this and could get his hands on Chiyo, he'd strangle the hag to **death!**  This was all her fault! If she'd kept her revenge-filled mind and opinions to herself, all of his friends would still be alive, and his damn face would still be in one piece!  
  
_He hated her, hated hated HATED HER!_  
  
Meanwhile, Minato reached inside of his pocket, pulled out the fated scroll he'd received from his partner, and ran for the disorientated and weak Suna-nin as fast as he could. Naruto was right by his side, one of Minato's kunai in hand and aimed it right above Rasa's head.   
  
Rasa used all the remaining strength and will he possessed to drag himself to his feet in one last  _desperate_  effort to defend himself when, suddenly, the sound of a kunai swished by his ear just moments before he received a hard blow to his back and was forced back onto the ground...   
  
...and then everything went dark... and Rasa found that he didn't care anymore. He was glad it was over. 

* * *

  
  
Minato panted as he straddled the brunet, his hands pressed against his back and the seal underneath his palms pulsing with his and Naruto's combined chakra- weaving together a seal of Naruto's own design. A chakra suppressing seal that could suppress just about  _anything.  
_  
Rasa wouldn't be able to move with that on, much less feel his chakra.   
  
It was over.  
  
Minato pushed himself off of him, and took a couple of steps back before he sank to the ground and closed his eyes, his breath heavy and laboured. What he wouldn't have given to have a bit of Naruto's ungodly stamina at a moment like this.  
  
Naruto crouched down beside the unconscious Rasa, a critical gaze moving across his newly acquired seal, "Good job, he won't be getting up from that one."  _Ever._ It was designed to keep down a Jinchuuriki.  
  
"He'd better not..." He never wanted to see a Magnet Release again in his  _life!_  
  
"Take a moment to catch your breath," Naruto said, "We're heading back to the others once you do."  
  
"I'm fine." There was no time to waste. He'd rather get this whole thing over with while he could still stand. "Let's go."  
  
A faint smile stretched across Naruto's lips. "Whatever you say." He chuckled, "I'm leaving some of my clones here. Might as well gather some more nature chakra while I'm at it."   
  
Minato nodded and pushed himself to his feet. This fight might be over... but the war with Suna wasn't.  _Not even close._  
  
The two of them left Rasa with six of Naruto's clones, each of them guarding the young man as they simultaneously gathered nature chakra to restock Naruto's dipping reserves. If nothing else, they could knock the man on his ass if he woke up again.

* * *

  
  
Much later, Rasa woke up, much to his own surprise. He noted the calm and gentle breeze of the wind as it caressed his damaged skin. His face was pressed against the green grass and the gold dust that laid scattered all around him. It was still dark outside, and the only source of light he could see was that of the stars and the moon. That... and the blond hair of the Maelstrom who laid just to his side- looking up at the stars.   
  
He'd never felt so tired before, so completely spent. So tired, in fact, that he couldn't bring himself to fear the man in front of him anymore. If they wanted him dead, he'd be dining with the Shinigami right about now. Perhaps they would torture him for information? In the end, it didn't matter. He didn't care.  
  
"Out here it's easy to forget we're at war. Don't you agree?" Naruto's voice was calm and quiet, full of thought and without a speck of hostility.   
  
Rasa didn't respond at first, merely watched him in silence. "You're strong." He said in the end. Why he'd chosen to say that, he didn't know, but he felt the need to state the obvious.  
  
"Strength is subjective." Naruto sighed quietly, his gaze following a falling star, "Strength to me isn't necessarily what strength is to you. For all you know, I may be the weakest man in the world."  
  
"You beat me." Perhaps it was his pride talking, but allowing someone who'd beat him to call himself weak... it vexed him. "The weak can't beat me."  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
The two of them fell silent for a short moment.  
  
"Why am I alive?" Why didn't they just kill him? They had to know he would never turn his back on his village.   
  
"You're going to be the one to end this war or die trying," Naruto answered truthfully, "You should never have entered this country, Suna-nin-san. You should never have angered the Hokage, nor his people. Konoha doesn't take well to dishonourable acts such as the ones you've committed- despite us being at war."  
  
"I had nothing to do with your shinobi ending up in the trees." Rasa tried to frown, but he couldn't. The seal on his body allowed him just enough leeway to speak... and not much else.  
  
"It doesn't matter. It still happened, and because of it; Konoha wants to see Suna burn."  
  
Again, the two of them fell silent as Rasa processed just how big of a mess they'd just landed themselves in. Being at war with Konoha was bad enough... but to stand on the receiving end of their wrath? Yeah... that wasn't the best position to be in.   
  
"For what it's worth; you almost succeeded, Suna-nin-san." Naruto continued, gaining Rasa's attention once more. "You were just unlucky that I showed up when I did. You might have reached Hi no Machi if I hadn't."  
  
"Why you? What makes you so damn special?" The distaste in Rasa's voice was apparent enough, but he didn't care. There was nothing more they could do to him.   
  
Naruto remained unphased. "I don't know about special, but any other person wouldn't have gone to the lengths I did to stop you from leaving that forest. You might have even won."  
  
Rasa's blood turned to ice as his eyes shimmered with horror. "It was you...?" The Maelstrom planned the ambush!?  
  
"Would you believe me if I said it wasn't personal?"  
  
"No," Rasa stated bitterly. "You  _killed_  my  _friends._ "  
  
"You killed my friends too." More specifically Minato's old classmates.   
  
"I didn't lift a hand against your  _damn_ friends! There were genin's in that battalion, innocents who just ended up getting a shitty mission from-"   
  
"Perhaps." Naruto didn't care to listen to Rasa as he vented his anger and grief. He had his own to deal with. "But we're shinobi. We all know what we signed up for, and if you neglect to tell your troops that, then I feel sorry for them. War is never personal for us, Suna-nin-san. The only people who feel it's personal are the ones at the top who cause them in the first place. It's people of power who use that given privilege to drag everybody else down and into their problems- who then feels a war is necessary to solve them. At the end of the day, we're nothing but pawns in a game bigger than ourselves. It's easy to place blame in a war, but we're all just following orders. What matters to us; you and I- are how those orders are carried out. It's the only thing we have the power to control."  
  
Rasa bit his tongue, unable to call him a liar, yet finding that he'd much rather remain quiet than agree with him.   
  
"Personally, I'd much rather be at home, making breakfast for my partner and then go to a nice restaurant in the evening. I don't care about petty conflicts between people who can't solve their issues with words rather than violence. It's always the little people who suffer because of people like that."  
  
"Then why are you a shinobi in the first place if you hate it so much?" Rasa growled, angry because of the image he'd previously painted of Konoha-nin proving to be less than accurate.   
  
"I don't hate being a shinobi." Naruto disagreed, "Doesn't mean I agree with everything that comes with it. I'll always stand up and defend my home and as a shinobi; I can do that. Shinobi to me is more than fighting. It's about finding peace and helping those who can't help themselves. I'm a protector- a guardian. It's the only thing I know how to do. To protect the remainder of my friends and family, yours had to be stopped. It's as simple as that... and it's not personal."  
  
Something inside of Rasa twisted uncomfortably, and he closed his eyes so he didn't have to feel so damn horrible when he looked at the Maelstrom. He knew what that feeling was... _guilt_... and it was eating away inside of him.

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Yellow Dyad Christmas](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/51/6/1514064777-merrychristmas.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Battle Pose](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/5/1514587777-badassss.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Gale Palm](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514652748-badasss2.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Don't read that!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514670932-oh.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Mine](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665400-mine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Fluff](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665403-fluff.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[You smell good](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/01/4/1515085473-u-smell-good.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Come On!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/06/5/1518207504-comeon.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Valentine surprise!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/07/3/1518636770-happy-st-valentine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**♡ඩ⌔ඩ♡**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Wipes tear* My boys are growing up!
> 
> BTW! Check out Ellry's new fanart! (Yes, it's Ell with a profile! *gasp*)
> 
> Next chapter will be focused on all the other fighting going on. Aka, chibi-Kakashi, Chiyo craziness, epic Dyad entrance and Taketa madness. Will Naruto and Minato finally learn about Kakashi being on the battlefield as well!? Σ(T□T) DUN DUN DUUUUN! *Dramatic pose*


	70. I'm going to die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I'm alive... barely! My life exploded in my face. Add a vacation, the obligatory winter flu and uni on top of writer's block... well. The world imploded. （◞‸◟）†
> 
> Just to repeat what I've said tons of times before; I'm not abandoning this fic (even if I apparently died for almost two months, lol). Some exciting plot is going to start brewing very soon! TROUBLE IN PARADISE 2.0! (｀㊥益㊥)Ψ Prepare virgins!!
> 
> Also, PLEASE check out all the new fanart at the bottom of the chapter. Ellry has made this fic her/his(No judge) bitch, I swear to god. *worship*
> 
> Forgive me for the wait, and please, enjoy! <3

Kakashi's pale hands pressed against the,  _usually_ , grey vest with all his might. The fear of pressing too firmly was nothing more than a fleeting thought, irrelevant when the adrenaline pumping through his veins was enough to make him lose his hearing, forcing him to discard any distracting thoughts that may cause him to lose his focus.  _Pressure!_ his mind screamed.

With the ever-growing pool of blood, his pale fingers began to bathe with the warm and ominous liquid he so desperately tried to stop. It wouldn't, though.

Absently, he noted that he had to be shaking because he doubted Nanami was the one who kept moving and causing his hands to slip into the wound over and over again. If he'd had any wits left in him, he would have grimaced at the gore.

No matter how hard he tried, his efforts began to feel useless-  _hopeless_. Nanami wasn't trying to communicate anymore, and her breathing was nothing more than gurgling rasps from the previous, panicked, gasps. She was drowning in her own blood.

It never occurred to him that pressing his hands against her gaping abdomen was only speeding up the process of pushing out the blood from her veins. Never the less, he kept as much pressure on her wound as he could because that was standard procedure when wounded.  _Pressure. Put pressure on the wound until a medic arrives!_

... But Nanami was their medic, and there was too much chaos going on around them for anyone else to notice that Nanami was dying.

A single tear rolled down Nanami's temple as she realised that her time was up. With an increasingly blurring vision, she watched Kakashi sob himself hysterical as his panic grew and began to consume his small body.

It wasn't her intention to hurt him like this. Yet, it was better this way, she felt. If that sword had reached Kakashi, his head would have been severed from his body, and there was no healing a severed head. If dying while protecting a small child was to be her final act in life, then that was alright. Surely, Kushina would understand... and Kakashi as well, in time. In the end, there was no better way to leave this world.

Her only regret, if she was to name one, was that she'd never be able to tell Kakashi that it wasn't his fault, nor that anything could have been done to prevent it. That they did their best.

But alas, she couldn't... for she was mute since birth and drowning in her own blood. Instead, she used what little strength she had, and raised her hand to place it on top of the silver-haired boy's, drawing his eyes to hers as she smiled for the last time, surrounded by death and chaos.

* * *

 

Taketa surveyed the surrounding area, grimly eyeing the countless bodies on the ground. However, despite the scent of blood and death, his mood wasn't nearly as bad as one would suspect. The reason was quite simple really.

The majority of the bodies on the ground belonged to Suna.

Most of them were wounded from Naruto's brilliant trap, several with third-degree burns or chilli-peppered eyes. That trap would undoubtedly go down in history, Taketa inwardly mused. The amount of devastation it caused to Suna's forces was impressive in its own right, and it was unlikely that the sand rats would forget this battle anytime soon. Hopefully, the Konoha council would finally get off Naruto's back a little. One could always dream.

"This section is cleared, Captain," Fugaku reported as he panted, a trail of blood dripping from his hairline. The young Uchiha was exhausted, but unlike most of the scared youngsters, Fugaku and Mikoto along with the Hyuuga twins  _thrived_  on the battlefield. The four of them were part of his section of the battalion.

The fighting was slowing down in the area. Their group contained the close combat types, which meant that they had more fire-power than the rest. Risa's part of the battalion contained sensors and trackers. Hamada's were mainly long- to mid-range fighters.

"I want you guys to regroup with your teams." Taketa looked around himself, backing up against a nearby tree to make sure nobody would be able to sneak up behind him as he delivered new orders. "We're winning, but right now we have to focus on minimizing the damage and avoid unnecessary deaths across the rest of the battlefield. Our group is currently closest to the city and therefore we're in the best position to act as backup." He turned to the Hyuuga twins, "You two will take your team and head towards Hamada's group. Pick up all the other teams that you can find on your way there. The same goes for you two," Fugaku and Mikoto nodded firmly, "Head in the opposite direction towards Risa's."

"Understood." The four of them chorused and vanished.

Taketa let out a shuddering breath, allowing himself a brief moment to breathe only to grimace in disgust. It smelled like a shithouse out here.

* * *

 

Shikaku... Well, he was having a bad day. His face hurt, for one. He'd greeted a katana with his face. Not the brightest moment of his life, but it could have been considerably worse; He could have lost his head. Wouldn't that have sucked? He also had a broken wrist which he cradled against his chest, a twisted ankle and a black eye for good measure.    
  
Ironically enough, it looked like he'd been to war.   
  
Jokes aside; Shikaku truly _hated_  this. Not only was he heavily injured, but so was Inoichi and Chouza. Inoichi got knocked out by the aftershock of the collision from an attack by the Uzukage and the Puppet Brigades leader, making them two men short in their team. Their medic was the first to die, taken out in the confusion by a lucky Earth Jutsu to the back of his head. He'd died instantly. Inoichi had a head trauma himself and wouldn't be waking without medical attention. There was no telling how bad it was until someone could get a look at him.   
  
Chouza, although injured, fought like a ferocious lion. The Akimichi knew that he was their last reliable line of defence at this point. If he died, so would Shikaku and the unconscious Inoichi. There was no time to second guess choices or sit back and create plans. Jutsu's came from left and right, screams and death and blood were everywhere all at once.   
  
Shikaku hated this. Hated being so useless, so  _weak_  that he couldn't do more than pray that Chouza could hold out for a little while longer. He hated war, he hated Suna and he hated how  _scared_  he was.  
  
Blood forced one of his eyes closed, the wound across his face colouring him crimson as his last remaining teammate blocked yet another assault of endless puppets as he himself could do nothing more than lean back against a scorched tree and watch Chouza fight alone.   
  
The large teenager wasn't so large anymore. The second pill: the yellow curry pill had converted his fat to energy and chakra had boosted his strength to an incredible degree. But it wasn't permanent. Shikaku could see how he held the last remaining pill close at hand should anything go astray. If he ate it, he'd die. But if he didn't, they'd probably die too.   
  
_Hopeless._  
  
Everything felt so hopeless and lost and-  
  
A bright yellow flash pulled his thoughts to a stop, and then tears welled up in his eyes as Minato and Naruto appeared right before them, back to back and power rolling off them in waves as they stood before them in all their glory.  
  
"Minato-" Shikaku's voice disappeared in a choked sob, tears quietly rolling down his cheeks in relief and joy and just... everything was going to be alright. Minato and Naruto were here now, and everything was going to be alright.   
  
God, he hated this. 

* * *

 

  
The two blond's landed in the middle of the forest they'd previously left behind. But it hardly looked like a forest anymore. The trees were burning, screams rang endlessly in the wind and clashing metal echoed across the entire battlefield.  
  
_Chaos._

Minato pushed his pain and exhaustion to the side in favour of taking in his surroundings, quickly realising that he stood right in front of a heavily wounded Shikaku, much to his own growing horror and shock. The Nara was sitting against a tree, arm cradled against his chest, eyes brimming with tears and blood covering half his face. "Minato-" he choked a sob.   
  
The sound kicked him into action.  
  
"Shikaku!?" Minato ran, knowing that Naruto had his back as he took a beeline straight for the Nara. "Are you alright? Where are the others?" His hands instantly reached for his bloodied head, assessing the damage and searching for the source of all the blood. A head bleeding that much  _had_  to be bad. Behind him, he could hear Naruto giving orders to Chouza, but he didn't pay it much attention. Shikaku needed him more.   
  
"I-Inoichi is knocked out. I don't know how he's doing," Shikaku struggled with the words, his tongue feeling like led in his mouth. It hurt. Everything hurt now that he allowed himself a moment to  _feel_. "Chouza's on the second pill. I-" He sobbed again, his chest starting to ache terribly as a fit of panic sprung up from the depths of his soul, "Tsuji- I couldn't do a-anythi-"  
  
"Shh, we'll take care of it. Breath Shikaku, it's going to be alright." Minato drew closer, taking a second to press his panicked friend into his shoulder for comfort, "Everything is going to be okay. Inoichi is going to be okay, and Chouza too." At the back of his mind, he couldn't help but cringe at the horrible scar on his forehead that would forever remind Shikaku of this day. Luckily, it looked shallow enough to not pose a serious threat.   
  
"Mina!" Naruto called, hurrying towards them with Chouza hanging across his shoulder- injured and barely keeping himself standing, "These guys can't fight anymore. Prepare a barrier seal and we'll lock them down until it's over."  
  
Minato didn't have to be told twice. He reached into his side pocket, took hold of a ten point ten barrier seal, and slammed it onto the ground and shouted: "Activate!" A pale blue barrier rose up around them, just enough to include the large tree behind Shikaku. Naruto put Chouza down beside the Nara, scanned around the area and spotted Inoichi to the side of them. He rushed over.  
  
Once all of them were safely within the barrier, Naruto and Minato began checking to them make sure none of them was dying.   
  
"It's fine." Shikaku swallowed thickly, reluctantly as he stubbornly(and weakly) pushed Minato back to prove his point. "Naruto, the kid," he continued in a shuddering voice, dark eyes seeking out his other friend's, "The silver-haired kid. Kakashi. He's here too. Sandaime-"  
  
_"What!?"_ Naruto growled with such intensity that Shikaku snapped his mouth shut in shock.  
  
Minato felt the hair on the back of his neck stand out in alarm. Naruto's eyes were turning darker, purple, and his pupils began to slit diagonally.   
  
"Where!?" his eyes ablaze with fury.  
  
Shikaku shuddered, not quite sure what he was seeing, but opt to ignore it for now since there were more important things to worry about. Like staying alive. Besides, his words were getting slurry, and he honestly didn't know how much longer he'd stay awake with all the pain his body was under. "He's with the trackers and sensors under Risa... With Tsume and Shibi... We went in opposite directions. Into the forest that you guys blew up."  
  
Naruto bolted, knowing Minato would Hiraishin his way to him once he was done with the trio, yet not caring to wait because Kakashi was here. Kakashi was HERE!  _Why the hell was he here!? He was five-years-old! What the hell were they thinking sending him here!?_  
  
The more distressed his thoughts became, the faster he ran as Kurama's voice whispered directions in his mind, unconsciously channelling a sliver of Kurama's chakra into his legs to carry him forward. Kunai, jutsu and chakra sailed above him, narrowly missing him but not really- because nothing as pathetic as that could ever hope to hit him like this.   
  
_Kakashi. Kakashi. Kakashi!_

* * *

 

Blood dripped onto the ground from Kakashi's parted lips. Getting kicked in the head by a jounin... hurt. The world spun on its axis, triggering a churn of his stomach as the urge to hurl grew to unbearable levels.   
  
He couldn't do this. He was so outmatched by these people. These monsters. He was just five!  _Fivefivefivefivefive-_  
  
Another kick to his side and Kakashi bounced across the bloodied ground until he struck a tree with a bone-crushing crunch, black spots instantly hampering his vision.  
_  
God, he was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it._

Scared, no... terrified, Kakashi closed his eyes and waited for the next kick, knowing that it would most likely be his last. There was no way he could survive another one of those. He'd never see his father again, his stupid classmates or the Hokage, or Naruto, or Minato, or Konoha and-  
  
He trembled in fear.  _I'm going to die._  
  
The next kick never came.   
  
Instead, someone growled, a nauseating slash, a thud of something heavy hitting the ground... and then  _nothing._  
  
"...Kakashi-kun?"   
  
Kakashi cried... and then he wailed. All his pretences gone.

* * *

  
  
Naruto slid across the ground on his knees, arms wrapping around the boy who'd been his sensei, his mentor, his comrade and his friend for most of his life. His heart thundered in his chest, anger and rage causing his blood to boil in his veins, and he knew at that moment that he'd never forgive Hiruzen for sending Kakashi to this place. He'd never forgive Suna for the circumstances that forced a five-year-old to bathe in blood.  **Never.**  
  
A familiar tinge of chakra caressed the skin over his heart and Minato landed right behind him.   
  
The teenager quickly took in the sight of Kakashi, utterly horrified of the boys' presence and state. Minato then looked around himself, sensing both Shibi and Tsume close by, but their chakra was low and neither one was conscious. "Na-" He stopped abruptly, familiar red hair catching his attention. He knew that girl. He knew that girl that was smiling towards the sky with lifeless eyes.   
  
"Nanami-san...?" he whispered, stomach filling with dread. He looked away. He had to.  
  
If at all possible, Kakashi's distress only increased at hearing the name leave his mouth.  
  
Naruto held the boy closer, meeting Minato's burning cerulean eyes with his own. A message passed silently between them, and Minato nodded firmly.  
  
With a bright yellow flash, Minato, Naruto and Kakashi disappeared from the battlefield once more.

* * *

  
  
Meanwhile, Rasa looked at the clouds, thinking about his life and the choices he'd made and how he'd ended up in this fucking mess to start with.   
  
Man, he wanted to kill someone so badly it  _hurt._  
  
No matter how he looked at it, this wouldn't end well for Suna and it most definitely wouldn't end well for Chiyo. He'd  **personally**  see to it if he had to.   _God, his uncle will kill them for fucking up this badly._  
  
"You might as well kill me now." Rasa muttered, "Kazakage will murder us for this anyway."  
  
The was a soft hum from one of the numerous shadow clones around him, "Sorry, no can do." One of them said, "We need you alive for now."  
  
_For now,_  Rasa thought bitterly. Yet he couldn't dismiss the small spark of respect that'd bloomed inside of him. Konoha may be his enemy but he could respect that they were smart about the way they were spinning this whole disaster in their favour. Yet another kick in the balls for good measure.   
  
His peace was abruptly destroyed by the sound of a wailing child. A child who sounded like he was dying, for it was undoubtedly a boy. Rasa couldn't turn his head to check though, the seals prevented him from such. He could only see silhouettes from the corner of his eye as the Maelstrom and the Flash move across the grass.  
  
"Ssh, Kakashi-kun, it's going to be alright. Ssh... " Rasa's stomach twisted into a knot. The Maelstrom was comforting a bloody child..! What the hell was going on? "It's over now. You're safe. Look, it's really beautiful over here... well, not on that side, ignore that. Tinker Bell over there was a pain in the ass to deal with, sending glitter all over the place like a fairy." The crying turned a little softer, and Rasa was  **deeply**  offended.  _The fuck is he talking about!? **Fairy!?**_  "Kakashi-kun, I have a mission for you. Think you're up for it?" There was no reply, but from the quiet chuckle from the Flash, they seemed to have received a positive reaction. "That big bad dude over there is a bunch of trouble. My clones are keeping guard right now, but I might need them later, so I need someone to help me watch him. Think you can do that?"  
  
Some of the bubbling irritation subsided and he almost let out a resigned sigh. He'd seen plenty of young shinobi in the field, and apparently, the Sandaime Hokage wasn't beneath using the youngest of his forces to help fight in the war either. At least Suna and Konoha had that in common. No matter how distasteful it was.   
  
"I knew I could count on you." Rasa could practically hear the Maelstroms smile.   
  
He heard them walk around him until they crouched down in front of the one clone he was able to actually see due to the seals. There was shuffling of fabric, something that sounded suspiciously like a kiss, and then a sniffle.   
  
"Get some rest, but keep an eye on him." Meaning,  _'Don't fall asleep, we don't know how injured you are.'_  
  
The two blonds disappeared, and Rasa was left watching 'Kakashi'- a young boy who couldn't be older than six as he sat curled up in the clones protective embrace. The kid was banged up pretty badly, eyes bloodshot from crying and from a lack of sleep, and his hair was stained with blood and filth. His hands were also coated in red.   
  
Yet... there was a small fire in his dark grey eyes. Eyes that watched him like a hawk, barely blinking at all.   
  
He had to give it to the Uzumaki bastard; the man was clever. Not only had he removed the kid from the battlefield, he'd also 'created' a legitimate reason for keeping him away from the fighting despite the orders from the Hokage. He'd also given the boy a purpose which allowed him to keep his honour and pride as a shinobi- no matter how young.    
  
It wasn't like he particularly liked the bastard, but he wasn't about to ruin the life of a kid who, by all rights, should be walking dogs or babysitting brats until he turned ten.  
  
 

* * *

  
  
Naruto and Minato stuck together, but several of their clones split up and disappeared in different directions, all in search of wounded and medics to raise barriers around.   
  
Anger fueled both of them, and Minato didn't need an invitation to send a hailstorm of three-pronged kunai over a group of occupied Suna-nin. They were dead before they realised what happened. 'Thank you's were exchanged and then they continued with the next group.   
  
Naruto himself used brute force. His taijutsu, filled with anger, caused more damage than was absolutely necessary. If he'd kicked someone hard enough on the back to break their spine, he didn't bother to acknowledge it.   
  
It was with a sigh of relief that Naruto spotted Taketa in the distance with a large group of Konoha-nin right at his heels.   
  
Backup. 

* * *

  
  
Arashi watched the woman with disdain. No matter how much he beat her down, she refused to yield. She was defeated, surrounded by numerous Uzumaki's and their chakra chains, yet she refused to stop her struggle. Her puppets were all destroyed, her chakra sealed and her body bruised. Though, a gag would have been handy.   
  
"This isn't over!" She spat, "I'll have my revenge and you will all pay for what you've done to my family!"  
  
One of the Uzumaki's closest to her sighed tiredly, "Shut up already. Damn, you just don't know when to quit, do you? Does it look like Suna is walking away from this damn botch up intact?"  
  
Chiyo opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, only to receive a violent slap to the mouth as a sealing array spread across her entire face.  
  
Kushina ignored the utterly bewildered expression, on not only Chiyo but practically everyone else around them too. "What?" She huffed and crossed her arms defiantly, "The old hag doesn't know when to stuff it, 'attebane."  
  
Nagato sighed and shifted his weight to his other foot, "Let's just wrap this up."  
  
Arashi's lips twitched in amusement, "Indeed. Raise a barrier around this one and then we'll clean this place up. Scatter!"

* * *

  
  
Minato's legs trembled, exhaustion finally taking hold of him. He could no longer push it aside and ignore it. He'd used more chakra than he should have, his jaw and mouth ached so much he was growing dizzy, and his body felt like it had been run over by a pack of rabid foxes.   
  
But Naruto kept moving, kept helping everyone they came across as if though exhaustion and chakra was merely an afterthought.   
  
That forced Minato to keep moving as well, even if he'd rather drop onto the ground and weep from the pain. Naruto told him he could rest, but he'd refused... stubborn as he was.   
  
"Round up any survivors. Put our people behind the yellow barrier over there, and shuck the others behind the red one. Seal off their chakra before you do anything else and make sure their hands are bound. If they can still move 'em, break their wrists... We don't need these bastards causing any more trouble than they already have."  
  
"Got it." Taketa nodded, turned around and repeated the order to Risa and Mikoto- both of which took off without complaint.   
  
"Everything under control over here?" Arashi walked towards them. Aside from some dirt on his face and clothes, the man looked perfectly fine. That was Kages for you.   
  
Naruto let out a tired sigh, "Yeah. We've got the chibi-Kazekage sealed up and ready for transport. Once we empty this place of survivors and seal up the dead, we'll be good to go. But we better seal this entire area so we can send out people to pick up all the weapons and shit later on. I don't want to deal with it right now. Honestly, I'm so fucking over today it's not even funny."  
  
"Aren't we all." He stated dryly, and then straightened his back to scan the area thoughtfully, "We've done well today." The man decided, "Our losses are small compared to theirs. We've only lost about twenty-five percent of our forces. Your plan was a major success."  
  
"I live to serve." he drawled, voice laced with sarcasm.  
  
Arashi merely smirked and patted him on the back, and then he left.  
  
"What now?" Minato asked quietly, no energy left to even raise his voice.  
  
Naruto turned around, noticing how dead on his feet his partner actually was, and quickly hurried over to wrap an arm around his waist for support- preventing him from collapsing, "Now we go home."

##    
  
  
**Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Yellow Dyad Christmas](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/51/6/1514064777-merrychristmas.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Battle Pose](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/5/1514587777-badassss.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Gale Palm](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514652748-badasss2.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Don't read that!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514670932-oh.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Mine](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665400-mine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Fluff](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665403-fluff.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[You smell good](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/01/4/1515085473-u-smell-good.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Come On!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/06/5/1518207504-comeon.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Valentine surprise!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/07/3/1518636770-happy-st-valentine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**♡ඩ⌔ඩ♡**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a side note, the next chapter is ALMOST done, SO you can probably expect it in a few days (probably). 
> 
> I've been reading up on some fics lately, and I think I've shot myself in the foot with The Yellow Dyad. When I read about Minato in other fics and he doesn't act the way he does in my head(My fics), I get all emo. "THAT'S NOT THE WAY HE'D SAY THAT!" (┛ಠДಠ)┛彡┻━┻ I've ruined Minato.


	71. Changing times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> COME READ MY NEW CHAPTER MINIONS! BALLS ARE GETTING STOMPED! MUCH LIKES, VERY KUDOS! ψ(｀∇´)ψ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to upload this two hours ago, but it just so happens I managed to time it to when the entire website went down. 
> 
> OH WELL. (┛ಠДಠ)┛彡┻━┻

The icy atmosphere was impossible to ignore. Taketa was standing awkwardly to Naruto's left, nervously glancing at his friend every minute or so. Said blond didn't even try to hide his anger or who it was directed towards. He glared, openly, at the Hokage. Honestly, it was a mystery as to why the Hokage hadn't said anything about it yet. It was borderline insubordination at this point. But to Taketa's mild disbelief, their famous leader did nothing to soothe Naruto's ire or call him out on it.

Arashi stood on Naruto's right side and to Sakumo's left. He had to admit, it was a bit awkward standing between two people who oozed displeasure- in Sakumo's case at least, and fury in Naruto's. Though, he could understand why Naruto was so angry. Sakumo too. After all, the famous Hatake had almost lost his only son, a small boy at the tender age of five, whom, by all rights, should never have been on the battlefield in the first place. Even he could admit that. But Kakashi wasn't part of  _his_  shinobi, so he couldn't influence what orders Hiruzen gave or who was tasked to carry them out. In other words; it was out of his hands.

Naruto, though... well, that was more complicated. For someone who didn't know who Naruto really was, it most likely looked like an unjustified temper tantrum of a teenager or at worst; pure insubordination. However, Arashi  _did_  know who Naruto really was, and as such, he found himself sympathetic towards the former Hokage's feelings. The poor man had almost lost one of his most precious people out there in the field, and all because his predecessor decided that Kakashi was mature enough to handle the realities of war.

Yet, the boy's condition said otherwise, and it was undoubtedly one of the reasons as to why Naruto was so angry with Hiruzen. Kakashi had several broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a severe concussion. How the boy was even conscious during it all was a bloody mystery in and of itself. Not only had Kakashi gotten severely injured, but he'd also lost a teammate; Uzumaki Nanami. Knowing that the kind but mute girl was dead made Arashi nauseous, even more so when he'd been forced to tell Kushina who'd broken down entirely and turned into an inconsolable mess of tears and screams. Aside from Nagato, Nanami was Kushina's best friend.

Inuzuka Tsume and Aburame Shibi hadn't faired but better. They were both in the hospital and still unconscious, which meant that Kakashi was the only one who'd been awake long enough to see what became of his teammates. The whole thing would likely scar the boy for life. It would be a miracle if he didn't develop physiological issues from it all.

No, Kakashi should never have been on that battlefield. But Arashi could understand why Hiruzen did what he did, in a way. Sending small children into war was a common practice during the First Shinobi World War, and the tradition had carried into the Second War as well. This war. However, it was more than a little distasteful to do so. Arashi himself would never do it, but Hiruzen was a man who'd grown up during the First War. His morals and thoughts were different from those who were born later, such as himself.

Arashi could only shudder at the thought of what was going through Naruto's mind at this moment. After all, Naruto was still the Rokudaime Hokage, even if he technically wasn't in _this_  era- yet. It was complicated, but as it was; once a Kage, always a Kage. And in the end, Naruto's opinions and orders technically held more sway than Hiruzen's own if the truth came out because Naruto knew what the older man's decisions meant in the long run and what consequences they had. It was hard arguing against facts like that. Besides, if what Naruto had told him about the wars in the future was true, then it was understandable why the act of sending small children into war was met with such a strong emotional reaction from the man. Children had no place in war. The future had made that abundantly clear on more than one occasion.

Meanwhile, Naruto listened with barely kept attention as Sakumo, Taketa and Arashi gave Hiruzen their report on the events that had taken place outside of Hi no Machi.

It was difficult to keep a leash on his anger in front of the old man. Kakashi had almost died out there, and the damn scarecrow was only five years old. What the hell had Hiruzen been thinking at the time? Surely the man must have predicted what would happen if you put a five-year-old genin in a combat situation like that? He could understand Maito Dai who'd been present due to his age, but  _Kakashi!?_

He had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from lashing out at the old man and ripping him a new one. Sometimes it was easy to forget that he wasn't the hero of the elemental nations anymore. He wasn't the Rokudaime Hokage either... and he certainly wasn't worshipped by Konoha's shinobi as he once had been. Well, if one didn't count Minato that is, but that hardly counted since nobody besides him had the code to his pants.

_Moving on..._

He still had trouble stopping himself from throwing the man a few choice words though. Honestly, if it got any worse, he'd be grinding his teeth down to his gum. Thankfully, Taketa had taken it upon himself to deliver his side of the report as well- with some help from Arashi, of course. For that, he was thankful. If he so much as opened his mouth right now, he would have told someone to fuck off with his fist.

In his time nobody would have dared to piss him off to this degree. It was a known fact in the future that if people pissed off Uzumaki Naruto, Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha, you were so fucking  **dead**  it wasn't even funny.

And now, faced with Sarutobi Hiruzen, proclaimed Professor and the God of Shinobi, Naruto felt ready to walk up to the stupidly familiar mahogany desk and flip the piece of shit furniture out of the window, preferably with Hiruzen quickly following. That probably wouldn't go over very well with the anbu, but that lot had always had sticks up their asses. Uptight bastards.

Naruto was so busy fuming in silence that he didn't notice Sakumo and Taketa leaving before they closed the office door behind them; effectively snapping Naruto out of his mental murdering spree.

His chilling blue eyes turned to Arashi's, a silent question flashing through them. Arashi gave a subtle incline of his head, telling him that he'd missed little to nothing and that he had no reason to worry. Satisfied, Naruto turned his attention towards the Hokage and raised his chin defiantly on pure principle alone.

Hiruzen watched the blond with a grim but perfectly concealed, expression. He didn't know for certain why Naruto was angry with him, but he was, without a shadow of a doubt. Though,  _'angry'_  wasn't a fitting enough word to describe the emotional jounin before him. Honestly, Naruto looked like a mix of furious and disappointed. Why he could only speculate, but knowing that he'd done _something_  to receive the brunt of all those emotions rubbed him the wrong way. However, he had still to figure out what could have caused it. It certainly seemed like something big if Arashi and the others pretended to be ignorant of it in the face of the Hokage.

Well, there was only one thing left to do then: "I take it you want to say something, Naruto-kun?” He smartly kept his voice neutral and withheld the tone of concern he instinctively wanted to use.

If possible, Naruto's expression darkened even more. His brows knitted together in the centre, lips twisting and eyes dripping with piecing judgement. He sneered, "I can think of  _several_  things to say." His teeth grit together, "But I'll settle for a recommendation instead."

Arashi felt his heart beat a little faster as sweat gathered in his palms. Naruto's anger and chilling voice made him want to cower in a corner. It was admirable, in a way, that Hiruzen refrained from reacting at all.

"And what recommendation would that be?" The God of Shinobi clenched his fist underneath the desk, an involuntary tremble coursing through his hands. The mere fact that this boy, this  _fifteen-year-old_  jounin, had made his hands tremble was  _disturbing._

"The next time you send people to war," Naruto hissed softly, yet laced with deadly poison, "Send your  _own_  son as well, _Hokage-sama._ " Hiruzen's lips parted, and his eyes widened in shock, "After all," Naruto raised his chin, voice condescending, "He's already  _seven._ " Even Arashi stared at him, stunned. " _Now,_ " He continued, unperturbed by their reaction, "I have a partner to take care of. Sleep well, Hokage-sama. Arashi-sama." He tilted his head politely at the red-head, turned around, left the office, and slammed the door far harder than was polite.

Uzumaki Naruto left behind a pair of Kage that was nothing short of speechless. Arashi knew, to some degree, what type of man Naruto really was, but seeing how he quite literally didn't give a fuck who he was talking to... Well, only people like Naruto would be brave enough to do something like that. But the most unnerving thing about the whole encounter was that not once did Naruto come across as a man who wouldn't be able to back up his implied threat.

Arashi turned to look at Hiruzen, noting how his expression closed off like the slamming of the office door. He could tell that the man was shocked and alarmed. Although, he couldn't say for what reason exactly. Was it because of the sheer audacity of the blond? Or because of the comparison of the man's own son that seemed to have hit far too close to home for comfort?

He suspected he'd never know.

"...Why?" Hiruzen asked softly, barely loud enough for Arashi to hear.

The Uzukage weighted his options but quickly realised that lying would do neither one of them any good. The truth it was then. "Hatake Kakashi almost died out there," Arashi stated bluntly, not finding it in himself to sugar-coat the truth. Hiruzen's lips instantly pressed into a thin and grim line. If he didn't imagine it, he almost seemed to blanch, "If Naruto-san and Minato-san didn't show up when they did, he would have. They saved his life. The boy was so scared he couldn't move, and it resulted in the death of one of my own; Uzumaki Nanami. A medic who stepped in front of a katana that would have severed his head."

The Hokage lowered his head a fraction, eyes set upon the tedious stack of papers on his desk.

"From what I understand; Kakashi-kun admires the two blonds quite a lot, and the three of them have grown close after several missions together." Despite it all, Hiruzen gave a small nod of acknowledgement. He knew about the A-rank missions Naruto issued that were, in fact, only D-ranks. "I know from experience that Naruto is very protective of those he cares about, and the boy's presence on the battlefield set him off and made him furious. Kakashi-kun wasn't just badly injured; he will most likely suffer from severe psychological scars from this whole event. Scars that will stay with him for the duration of his life." He paused for a moment, allowing the words to sink in before he continued, "Naruto-san knows better than anyone what it's like to step onto a battlefield as a child. He knows what it does to people- children specifically, and it's not a pretty sight. He's seen the result of children who've been warped and twisted by war, children driven to insanity because of the choices of older and wiser men. That," He continued evenly, "Is why Naruto is angry with you."

For a while, Hiruzen said nothing. He then let out a small sigh of resignation and leaned back in his chair, spun it slowly to the side, and settled his gaze upon his beloved village. "Was I wrong?" He asked quietly, feeling safe enough to ask since Arashi was a Kage himself and knew the burden of choices and responsibility just like him.

"Whether you were wrong or not, I will not speculate. You're free to do what you wish with your own village." The red-head answered diplomatically. Calling another Kage out on their poor choices weren't exactly common practice. Not to mention rude.

If even possible, the God of Shinobi sunk deeper into his chair, "And if it was your own village and shinobi?"

Arashi pondered the question all but a second and a half. "I'd never send a child of my nation into a war that grown men started." He spoke with conviction, leaving no room for compromise. It would be a cold day in hell before he allowed anyone short of twelve years old and with the rank of chunin to step as much as a foot inside of a war zone. Over his dead body.

"Once," Hiruzen explained wearily, "There was no such thing as age-restrictions in the shinobi profession. There was no such thing as 'too young' or 'too old'. Shinobi came in all ages, and as soon as they received their leader's recognition, they were considered shinobi... and thus adults by law."

"Times have changed, Hiruzen." Arashi warned softly, "I won't tell you how to run your village or what choices you should make, but you should know that the people of this village will continue to morally evolve with or without you. If you hang on to the old ways, then people will start to consider you as something representing the past and not the future. You're a powerful and wise man, Hiruzen, but do remember that even the wisest of men have plenty left to learn still."

"So it would seem..."

* * *

  
  
Naruto took a calming breath as he stepped outside of the Hokage's office, his nerves high-sprung, but some of the tension in his body bleed out after he threw some words at the man. What the Hokage took away from the encounter, he didn't care.

"Yo." The familiar voice of Taketa made him turn his head to the side. The man was leaning against the wall of the corridor, "I take it that didn't go over very well."

Naruto snorted, "I wouldn't know." He drawled, the shadow of his sneer still on his face, "He never took the chance to say anything in favour of gaping like a fish."

Taketa _stared_. " _Well alright then._ " His face twisted into a funny expression as he pushed himself off of the wall, "Anything you want me to say to your princess when you turn up dead in the morning?"

" _Please,_  as if that would ever happen." He raised a brow.

"I'm not sure if you're taking the piss or if you're crazy enough to be serious... in which case I'm mildly intrigued. Does it involve  _Saiyan superpowers?_ " Taketa grinned from ear to ear, hands deeply buried in the pockets of his pants as he skipped lightly with each step he took while they moved down the corridor.

Amused, Naruto smirked, "It seems to be a common theme to forget that I am, in fact, a Sage. I don't need to rely on the furball for everything. He gets annoyed, ya' know. Calls its abuse of his  _majestic powers_."

The older man sighed longingly, "I wish I had another voice in my head."

 _"...another?"_  Naruto repeated slowly.

"You say something?"

"...No."

"Anyway!" Taketa clapped his hands, beaming at his blond friend for reasons unknown, "Where is that princess of yours?"

"Is there a reason you've decided to call him a princess?" Naruto asked mildly, not certain he wanted to know in the first place.

"Out of the two of you, he's the pretty one. Fair skin and all that. You look like you could have been pretty once upon a time, but then you hit a wall or something, and you know, we can't all be visually stunning. I used to be pretty once, but then I grew up, and now I can make ladies scream with a single smile." He shrugged, accepting these new facts of life as truth.

Meanwhile, Naruto looked at him as if though he'd lost the last of his marbles. "Whatever." He held his hands up in surrender, "I don't even want to know."

"So, where is the princess?" The man pressed on.

"My clones took him home. He used too much chakra and now he's utterly exhausted. Not to mention, he had shards of three of his teeth knocked out, so I'll be spending the night healing him up like the failure of a partner that I am." Naruto sighed, mind wandering towards his beautiful partner. Guilt twisted in his stomach at the hesitant smiles Minato would give him. He was already self-conscious about his broken teeth. That wouldn't do at all. Minato's smile was worth everything and being the cause of its ruin was not an option. He'd fix whatever damage he'd done, accidental or not. Though, Kurama was left a bit grumpy about it since he was the one who, in fact, ended up healing Minato. Naruto couldn't actually heal for shit.

" _Well,_ " The brunet mused, "At least it's not as bad as Hamada."

Naruto's brows furrowed with concern, "What about Hamada?"

"You know that scar across his face, yeah?" Naruto nodded, "Well, now he has another one. On the opposite side of his face." He then grinned, "He's got a fucking bullseye mark between his eyes! It looks fucking hilarious!" The man began to cackle shamelessly, pointedly ignoring all the weird looks he got from various people.

"What, like an 'X' across his face?"

"Yes!" He chortled.

The corner of the teenager's lips began to twitch, and before long he surrendered to the amused smile that, had it been for anyone else, might have looked highly insensitive. As it was, Hamada would most likely find it just as hilarious, if not outright convenient. Naruto could already imagine Hamada in a fight; taunting his opponent about their lousy aim and then point to his face, claim to be the perfect target, and then cut their heads off for not laughing at his joke.

_Good times ahead._

"He's never going to hear the end of that one, is he? I suspect you'll be the reason for that."

"You can bet your pretty little ass on that one." Taketa grinned wickedly.

Naruto grimaced, "Ew,  _no._  Stick to people your own age, thank you." The only one allowed to comment on his ass was Minato,  _thank you very much._

"Relax, brat. I'm not stealing you away from the princess. If that happened, he'd nail my balls to the wall so fast I'd never even feel them leave my body until they were gone."

Naruto smirked. "True." Minato was amazing like that. The people who got in his way never had the time to realise that they had done so in the first place before they were permanently removed and stopped from doing so ever again. Personally, Naruto found that specific overprotective personality-trait of his boyfriend to be rather sexy. An angry Minato was a feisty Minato. And a feisty Minato meant a lot of  _trouble._

Naruto liked trouble. That much had already been established in their relationship.

"I should get back to Mina. I don't want to leave him to my clones if they pop." Naruto said, though his mind was already halfway home at that point.

Taketa smirked knowingly, "Uh-huh." _Bull **SHIT!**_  "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Again, _ew._ " But the grin on his face said otherwise.

* * *

 

Naruto hurried up the stairs, taking two steps at the time and reached the top with a small huff. He could hear low murmurs from the bathroom and headed there without a second of hesitation. He opened the door, spotting two of his clones disinfecting several small cuts across Minato's naked body, the latter of which sat on the closed toilet lid. The third clone was inspecting Minato's teeth and was attaching a pair of cotton balls at the sides of the broken pearls of white to prevent further damage. Judging by the numbing cream on the bathroom counter, the cotton was coated with it to help relieve the pain.

He would have commended the use of the cream if it technically wasn't  _he_  who thought of using it in the first place.

"I'm back." He announced with a tired smile, happy to finally be home with his precious boyfriend again.

Minato turned to face him, an equally tired smile on his own face. He looked pretty beat up. No doubt the events of their botched-up mission-turned war had taken its toll on him. "How did it go?" He asked quietly.

"Well, I told the Hokage to send his own son into war the next time he considered sending Kakashi-kun." Minato gaped, and Naruto all but ignored it, "Not sure how he took that, to be honest. He was imitating a fish when I left."

Naruto unzipped his vest and dropped it to the floor.

"Wha-  _Naru!_ " Minato reprimanded, mildly scandalised, but mostly worried for his safety, "I know you're upset, but he's the  _Hokage!_ " Nobody got away with saying stuff like that to the damn Hokage! What if he lost his partner!?

"I wouldn't say I'm  _'upset',_  Mina." Naruto pulled off his shirt and dropped it to the floor as well. He then leaned into the shower and started up the water for the two of them. " _I'm fucking pissed._ " He admitted.

Minato's mouth closed with an audible snap, and then he let out a resigned sigh. There was no point arguing against that. "Just... I need you, alright?" He reminded softly.

The former Kage removed the rest of his clothes and reached for his partner, his blue eyes warm and fond, "I'd never do anything to jeopardise what we have." He promised, hands sliding around Minato's strong but lean body as he slowly guided them into the shower. "You mean  _everything_  to me."

Through the downpour of water, Minato raised his chin enough to seal his lips to Naruto's, showing him exactly what he thought of that statement. The numbing cream was doing its job, and the pain coming from his broken teeth, and bruised jaw was barely noticeable. If he were to believe the clones, his teeth would be back to normal in the morning, and his body would be healed. He felt bad about it, getting injured and thus preventing Naruto from resting like him in favour of healing him... but he couldn't help but feel happy that he'd get his teeth back. He loved to smile too much not to get self-conscious about his broken teeth. He also knew that Naruto loved his smile (if his constant comments and compliments were anything to go by) which only caused him to want his teeth back to normal as fast as possible.

It was with a hum of approval and gratitude that Minato leaned against Naruto's naked chest as hands moved over his body, cleaning off the grime and sweat. All the evidence of war.

A war they'd both survived.

"I need to get stronger." Minato murmured, smiling slightly as a hand slid down and cupped his butt, "Stamina... endurance. It took everything I had to just keep up with you out there."

"Then we train," Naruto said softly, tilting Minato's head back so that he could look at him properly. In Minato's warm and expressive eyes, Naruto saw love and unrivalled strength, and it reminded him of why he'd fallen so helplessly in love with him in the first place. "I know my stamina and chakra reserves can be daunting in comparison to most peoples... but we'll both get stronger,  _better._  Our teamwork will improve, and our fights will become more seamless and coordinated with time. We've only just begun, Mina-chan." Their lips brushed together in a feathery kiss, making Minato close his eyes as he basked in his boyfriends embrace, "But all that can wait until tomorrow."

With a sound of agreement, Minato locked his arms around Naruto's neck, deepening the kiss as his body pressed against his partners unblemished one.

Abruptly, he winced, forcing him to take a step back as his gum began to bleed once again.

Naruto snickered, unable to hide his amusement at Minato's  _massive_  pout and puffed up cheeks, "Let's get that fixed, shall we?" He cooed.

Minato threw him a withering glare.  
  


##    
**Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Yellow Dyad Christmas](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/51/6/1514064777-merrychristmas.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Battle Pose](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/5/1514587777-badassss.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Gale Palm](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514652748-badasss2.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Don't read that!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514670932-oh.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Mine](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665400-mine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Fluff](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665403-fluff.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[You smell good](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/01/4/1515085473-u-smell-good.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Come On!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/06/5/1518207504-comeon.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Valentine surprise!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/07/3/1518636770-happy-st-valentine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**♡ඩ⌔ඩ♡**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *jazz hands* Taa-daa~!
> 
>  
> 
> Oh and, btw. If you lot are interested in more MinaNaru fluff with tons of awkwardness, check out my 'Holiday of Misery' Series! The first one-shot 'A Christmas Carol of Misery' is done (I split up the one-shots into three parts because writing is hard ༼ಢ_ಢ༽ ), and the first part of the 'A New Year's Resolution of Misery' one-shot is up and available! Drop by and dump all your feels and kudos in one spot. It makes me giggle. Much feels.


	72. The man in a jar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear not, the Fumetsu fic isn't permanently gone. However, I've removed it for the time-being because when I went through it and began editing... well, I more or less ended up rewriting it to make it better- more polished. It'll come back up once I've finished!
> 
> Enjoy! (◠‿◠✿)

The following day Minato walked through their large house with quiet footsteps. Not by choice, but through ingrained habit. A shinobi who made noise was a dead shinobi, and after the battle outside of Hi no Machi, those instincts remained in the forefront of his mind. Despite being back in the safety of Konoha, Minato felt jumpy. On edge. It was difficult to relax when just a day ago he’d been standing on a battlefield where kunai soared through the air and jutsu rearranged the landscape. Absently, he acknowledged that perhaps this was the real reason why many shinobi developed such severe paranoia. If a part of the shinobi’s mind never left the battlefield, then it wasn’t so strange why many of the older generations of shinobi were mildly terrifying at times. They were always ready to strike.  
  
While Minato could see merit in that, he didn’t particularly like it. He didn’t want to live life while looking over his shoulder at every turn he took. Especially not in his own home. Walking around like a shadow in the halls of his safe-haven left a sour taste in his mouth. But it was a hard habit to kick. It took conscious effort to make sure his footsteps left a bit of sound behind as he stopped in the kitchen and looked around.  
  
Naruto wasn’t there.  
  
He’d woken up alone that morning. Something he hadn’t expected if he was completely honest with himself. It felt wrong in a way; to wake up alone after a near-death experience like that. Besides, Minato had expected Naruto to sleep in since he’d been healing him during the night. How Naruto could be up and about was beyond him. His stamina and chakra levels were edging into inhuman. And perhaps Minato was _slightly_ jealous of the endless supply of energy his partner had. It was beyond handy.  
  
Leaving the kitchen, Minato continued through the house until he stepped out on the back porch. He was greeted by the early midday sun and a clear blue sky. It was a stark contrast to the ash and fire-tinted sky from yesterday.  
  
He pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to think about it anymore. He was incredibly lucky not to have drowned in nightmares after that whole thing, and because of that, suddenly daydreaming about it seemed like stabbing himself with a kunai, and it just seemed horribly counterproductive. And honestly, he’d rather not.  
  
Instead, he looked around the yard and spotted Naruto in front of their small pond housing their three koi fishes. Naruto liked the one Jiraiya had so much that he’d made his own. Not that Minato was complaining, he liked it too. Especially the fish; he’d even named them all (to Naruto’s constant amusement). There were three of them; Ren who was white and red and represented Minato’s love for Naruto (obviously). The second one was Yoshi who was white and orange and meant luck (how lucky he was for having met Naruto, duh). Then finally, Yuki who was also white but with a bright yellow back and tail. That one represented happiness- because Minato was very happy with Naruto.  
  
Naruto himself found the whole thing hilarious but decided to humour him. After all, it was kind of cute, and for once Minato had kept his horrible naming game to the acceptable side. The moment he edged into double names, and Sage forbid, triple names, Naruto would put his foot down. Even fish had feelings. Probably.  
  
Minato carelessly dragged his feet across the grass to alert the long-haired blond of his presence. He appeared to be meditating again- something Naruto did every day. Though, he usually did it in the mornings, not in the middle of the day.  
  
“Naru?” He asked softly, making sure not to accidentally startle the young man.  
  
It took a moment for Naruto to respond, but when he did, he hummed quietly and held out his hand expectantly, eyes still closed and shoulders slumped.  
  
Minato tilted his head a little to the side, eying his partner curiously before he stepped forward and took his hand with his own. Naruto pulled him closer, unfolded his legs and patted the spot between them. Minato blinked in surprise but sat down none the less.  
  
Naruto wrapped his arms around the yukata glad blond, drawing him closer to his body as he rested his cheek on the back of Minato’s neck. He could feel the fragrance of vanilla from his shampoo. That and the familiar scent people got when they slept. There was a slight shift in the body odour when they did, and Minato had traces of it, which meant that he’d just woken up. That knowledge caused Naruto to take a deep breath as he inhaled the sweet aroma of his boyfriend. There wasn’t another person in the world who smelled better than Minato. It was like sunlight and flowers and sweets all wrapped up into a single bundle of love. It was his Minato.  
  
”I’m sorry,” he said quietly, ”I had to collect my thoughts, and I didn’t want to wake you up accidentally.”  
  
Minato’s blue eyes warmed, and a soft smile graced his features as he leaned back on Naruto’s shoulder and closed his eyes, “It’s alright. Did you managed to sort everything through?” A soft breeze lifted a few of his golden strands of hair, a playful wind rolling over his skin like kisses from a mischievous lover.  
  
“Probably… Not really?” Naruto trailed off, his arms tightening around his partner. “There was a lot to think about.” He admitted with an air of defeat.  
  
“Anything I can help you with?”  
  
Naruto smiled softly, placed a gentle kiss on the side of Minato’s neck and realised, once again, how lucky he was to have someone like him in his life. “I love you.” Because there was no other way to express how much his presence meant to him. Minato didn’t know how much he’d struggled with the realisation that his knowledge of the future was dwindling at a rapid pace. Not to mention, how scared he was of losing his loved ones before he could even meet them again. The fact that his old friends might never be born was the hardest truth to swallow. His and Jiraiya’s presence had already changed so many things, and it wasn’t until the consequences of those changes occurred that the magnitude of their plan and work really hit home. In short, he had a lot to think about; and then some more.  
  
Aside from the world-changing events that floated around in his head, there was still the problem with Kakashi and Hiruzen. Now that he’d spent the day meditating, he’d calmed down enough not to want to ram his fist into the wall at the mere mention of the two. Still, something had to be done about it. He couldn’t, with a good conscience, leave things as they were. The Kakashi he’d known for most of his life was a man who wasn’t just broken- he was _shattered_. After the death of his father, countless teammates, beloved mentor, the defection of his own student, and finally the real death of his best friend for the second time… Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t the happiest man alive. Broken men used glue to hold themselves together so that they could live in any sort of semblance of a normal and functioning life. But not Kakashi. No, Kakashi couldn’t use glue to mend his shattered pieces. He’d been forced to collect it all in a jar that wasn’t big enough for all his precious fragments. Thus he’d lost more than he could save.  
  
Naruto wasn’t going to let that happen again.  
  
He loved Kakashi too much ever to allow him to walk down the same path he did the first time around. Losing him wasn’t an option, and he’d be damned if he didn’t protect him this time around. He’d already failed him once… and he wasn’t going to do it again.    
  
Besides… Kakashi’s current condition was basically his fault anyway. Because of the changes he and Jiraiya had done throughout the years, Kakashi had been forced into a position of vulnerability he never experienced in his first life. At least not this early. Their tinkering with time had almost cost Kakashi his life. For that, Naruto felt _crushing_ guilt and even more responsibility.  
  
 “Naru?”  
  
Naruto’s train of thought seized as he quickly realised he’d spaced out again and missed what the other blond had said. Sheepishly he apologised, “Sorry, lost on the road of life.”  
  
Minato’s eyebrows furrowed with concern as he raised his hand and threaded his fingers through Naruto’s long hair. “Don’t do that.” He scolded quietly, gently, “Talk to me. I can tell something is bothering you.”  
  
With a small and tired sigh, Naruto buried his face in the golden hair of his best friend- allowing the scent to soothe him as he contemplated on where to begin his explanation because he wanted someone to understand; preferably Minato.  
  
“When I was young,” Naruto started, choosing his words carefully, “I had to see things- _experience_ things that were beyond my control or understanding. I didn’t have anyone that would step in and protect me. I was on my own. There was nobody coming to my rescue, and I grew up never expecting others to help me or save me because of that. I learned very early that crying did nothing because nobody listened anyway. It was pointless.”  
  
Minato’s heart began to beat a little faster, his blood running colder as he instinctively curled further into Naruto’s arms to comfort them both. Naruto rarely talked about his childhood. From what he could understand; it was too painful for him. He couldn’t blame him for that. The more Minato learned, the less he wished he knew. But he wasn’t blind. Throughout the years, he’d noticed glaring inconsistencies in the tales of Naruto’s childhood. Yet, he could never detect any lies. That made him suspect that everything he was told was half-truths. He didn’t doubt Naruto’s tale about Sasuke or the fact that he’d killed all those other kids… but something was missing in that tale, that much he knew. Naruto didn’t want him to know, or couldn’t tell him, one of the two. Minato would have to call himself a liar if he said he didn’t want to know… but he’d promised that he wouldn’t pry.  
  
“But I wish I’d had someone to help me back then.” Naruto continued, if not a tad bitterly, “So much pain and hardship could have been avoided if someone had just _helped_ me. If someone had just protected me when I was drowning in my own misery, I would have grown up so much happier, so much darkness and pain would have lifted off my shoulders.”  
  
Minato listened, a sense of growing helplessness settling in his stomach as he felt the crushing pain that Naruto had so expertly hidden away from view… and from him. It was thick and heavy, a boulder hovering right above his head and threatening to drop and crush him at any moment.  
  
It made him feel ill.  
  
“What I’m trying to get at…” He frowned, frustrated at his own rambling, “If _I_ could be that _someone_ to a person that needs it just like I did when I was younger, I don’t think I have it in me to ignore it. I can’t look at someone like that, knowing what they’re going through, and pretend that I didn’t see it in the first place.”  
  
“I think I understand,” Minato nodded thoughtfully, “You feel a sense of obligation to help because you know what will happen if you don’t. Right?”  
  
Naruto blinked, moved his head up from the bird’s nest of blond hair and caught the blue eyes of his partner. “Exactly.” He chanced a smile and got one right back.  
  
“Then I’m guessing,” Minato continued knowingly, “You’ve found such a person, and you want to help them.”  
  
“Yeah,” Naruto bobbed his head in confirmation, already feeling some of the weight lift from his shoulders, “I have.”  
  
Minato hummed, then spun around to the side, “Kakashi-kun, right?” He smiled.  
  
Again, Naruto blinked, lips parted in surprise. A chuckle escaped him before he could stop the impulse but he found that he didn’t care. He could merely gaze upon his partner with fondness, “Right.”  
  
“What’s the plan? I take it you have one already.” He probed curiously, “Is it anything like with Dai-san? Is that why you’re so undecided on what to do?”  
  
The former Kage couldn’t help but let out a small huff of laughter; Minato could read him like an open book. “I was contemplating the idea of taking him on as a student.” Naruto admitted, finding quite a lot of amusement in the suddenly owlish expression of his partner, “Not as a real jounin sensei, but as a temporary mentor. It’s not really the same thing. I’d be mentoring him until he can be placed on a proper team with people around his own age. It has some added benefits in this case. For one, Kakashi would be training under me, which means he’d need to be in the village when I am.” Minato nodded, “Another thing is that if I’m mentoring him, I’d be able to control, to a certain degree, what missions he goes on. I can bar him from C-ranks if I don’t think he’s ready and make him stick to D-ranks unless the two of us are in the village and can accompany him.”  
  
“In other words,” Minato realised, “You’d be taking him out of the active roster. The only way he’d be forced to take a mission above D-rank is if the Hokage orders him to.”  
  
“Ah, not quite.” He shook his head but quickly elaborated, “Technically, the Hokage would have to go through me to send Kakashi-kun anywhere. In a way, I’d become his shinobi guardian so to speak. The Hokage can obviously send him regardless of my permission, but it’d be within my rights as a mentor to accompany him on the mission.”  
  
“That’s-”  
  
“Genius? Yeah, I think so too.”  
  
Minato chuckled but then grinned, “You’re _really_ angry at the Hokage, aren’t you?”  
  
“Pissed,” Naruto confirmed without as much as blinking. “And if he tries to send Kakashi-kun on missions that are above my recommendations, I’ll be sure to make him aware of my disapproval in the best ways I know how.” He smirked, “ _Very_ loudly.”  
  
Naruto was petty like that. Besides, he’d never gotten around to pissing in the man’s bushes yet. It was technically on his bucket-list.  
  
“So, how’d you go about becoming a mentor?” Minato inquired as he nuzzled into his neck, reminding Naruto of a small cat.  
  
“It’s not that hard.” If he was sneaky about it. “I don’t need the Hokage’s permission, technically. All I’d need is Kakashi-kun’s, Sakumo-san’s, and the jounin Commanders. If those three sign the papers, we’d be good to go.”  
  
“ _’We’_?” The cuddling blond smiled against the tanned skin of his boyfriend’s neck.  
  
Gently, Naruto turned Minato’s chin upward, lips drawing close enough to touch as they basked in each other’s expressive eyes. “Of course. I said ‘I’ but I meant ‘we’. We’d both mentor him; together. Is that okay?”  
  
Minato didn’t deign that worthy of a reply as he locked their lips together in a searing kiss.

Naruto took that as a ‘yes’.

* * *

  
  
The hospital was crowded and hectic. The scent of blood was still fresh, and cries and moans of pain were like ambient music as Minato and Naruto walked through the clinically white building. Nurses were rushing from one destination to another, shouting orders and diagnostics while they tended to the countless shinobi who laid on any available surface they could spare.  
  
Again, Minato realised that the two of them had been incredibly lucky. Himself, especially as Naruto, could heal him on his own.  
  
“Come on,” Naruto tugged gently on their hooked fingers, pulling Minato away from the sight of Dai-san with a cast on his arm. The man looked alright though. “I can feel Kakashi-kun’s chakra this way.”  
  
“There’s a lot of injured…” Minato murmured, sympathetic looks darting in multiple directions as he took in all the wounded shinobi.  
  
Naruto gave a nod of agreement, “That’s war, and this is the ugly truth of it. While people are out there celebrating a battle they weren’t part of, the soldiers are in here- dying.”  
  
Minato’s chest constricted, but he allowed himself to be guided away from the chaotic mess on the first floor of the hospital. Though his mind was far away.  
  
As the two of them ascended the staircase to the second floor, Naruto abruptly froze with a startled intake of breath. Minato’s eyes widened a fraction at the sudden stop and the near collision, but his face quickly morphed into a grim expression. In front of them stood a man who looked equally surprised at the sudden appearance. His hair was dark- a mix of black and brown. He also had an uncanny resemblance to Shikaku.  
  
“Shikako-sama.” Naruto gave a small incline of his head for the sake of politeness. Minato himself bowed properly. He’d learned that Naruto never bowed to anyone, though he’d never gotten the whole story as to why that was. It didn’t bother him, however.  
  
“Naruto-san, Minato-san.” Shikako acknowledged while some of the tension in his shoulders rolled off and disappeared. “It’s good to see you’re both alright. Visiting someone?” He inquired.  
  
“We’re looking for Hatake Kakashi, and then we’re going to see our other friends.” Minato explained, but then blinked and grinned before he nudged his partner with his elbow, “The form.” He reminded.  
  
“Oh!” Shikako rose a dark brow in silent amusement at Naruto’s startled expression. From what Shikaku had explained when he awoke, the two blonds were the reason his son was still alive. That caused whatever remaining reservation Shikako had towards Naruto to melt away like snow in the spring. He owed the two blonds _everything._ “It’s good that we ran into you, Shikako-sama.” Naruto reached inside of his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I’d like to request that you read this and take serious consideration into signing it for the two of us.”  
  
Minato nodded, “It would mean a lot to the two of us.”  
  
Shikako looked at the two young men and saw nothing but sincerity. Mildly curious, he unfolded the paper and scanned the contents quickly. Promptly, his other eyebrow shot up into his hairline. “You wish to mentor someone?” He looked up, mildly confused, “Together?” He’d never heard of that before.  
  
“We’d like to request a mentorship for Hatake Kakashi,” Naruto informed him, a hint of steel visible in his eye. “Unless that would cause issues, of course.”  
  
The old Nara blinked and turned back towards the paper. Indeed, he could see issues arising from such a request. Especially if Naruto was involved. But at the same time, the poor man had never done anything to deserve the ire of the council, and Shikako himself owed the Dyad a lot more than he could ever repay for saving his only child. Besides, he could see why the two of them wanted Kakashi.  
  
Not only was the kid a genius, but he’d also been to war and suffered through it. He’d seen how Shikaku looked and felt… so he could only imagine in what state a five-year-old would be. Yet, he could also see that, perhaps, this whole request was a way to slap the Sandaime on his wrists indirectly. There weren’t many who hadn’t heard about Naruto and the Hokage’s little row. Anbu’s, despite all their skill and self-control, were _terrible_ gossips.  
  
“Do you have a pen?” Shikako drawled.  
  
Simultaneously two pairs of blue eyes widened. “Yes!” Minato all but beamed, whipping out a pen from seemingly nowhere. No doubt he’d thought ahead… unlike Naruto.  
  
Shikako accepted the pen, signed the paper with a flourish, and handed each item back to their respective owners. “Good luck,” He smirked and then continued down the stairs.  
  
Naruto turned his bewildered gaze towards his partner, his **beaming** partner, and chuckled incredulously. “I expected this to be _a lot_ harder than that.” He’d expected to have to go into a full-blown rant to make the man even _consider_ allowing it. This though… Shikako had practically handed them the mentorship on a silver platter.  
  
Minato’s grin widened, “One down, two to go!”

* * *

  
  
Sakumo sat beside his son’s bed, face set into a seemingly permanent frown of worry and dread. Kakashi was still asleep, but the nurses were optimistic and estimated that he’d wake up within an hour or so. It gave him little comfort, however. His son should never have been here in the first place.  
  
With a pain-filled sigh, he leaned onto his knees and covered his face with his hands. What a mess everything was.  
  
However, as fate would have it, a knock on the door pulled him out of his sinking depression.  
  
“Come in.” He said, mildly surprised by a visitor for his son. He was pretty sure Kakashi didn’t have friends. Kakashi was a loner on principle, or so it would seem, despite his best efforts to make his son socialise more.  
  
The door slid open and, to Sakumo’s continued surprise, two blond teenagers walked into the room. One gave him a beautiful and blinding smile while the other saluted with two of his fingers.  
  
“Minato-san, Naruto-san!”  
  
“How are you, Sakumo-san?” Minato asked kindly.  
  
Sakumo’s entire demeanour grew weary and tired, “Could be better…” he admitted, “but there's not much that can be done about that right now.” His gaze turned to Kakashi’s sleeping form, eyes filled with regret, “He’s too young for this. He should be playing with children his own age, not recover in a hospital.”  
  
Naruto gave a sound of agreement as he crossed his arms. Beside him, Minato took a seat on one of the visiting chairs. “Hopefully this might help somewhat.” He pulled out the form once more.  
  
The older Hatake took it with some hesitation and began to read.  
  
It was silent in the room while he did so, and Naruto took the opportunity to place one of his hand on Minato’s shoulder- unable to resist the pull and desire to continue to touch him. Minato’s presence was grounding and comforting. Minato himself shifted further into his touch, not consciously, but through instinct.  
  
“This-“ Sakumo choked up, bewildered and shocked, “Would you truly?” His voice came out pleading.  
  
Naruto smiled along with his partner, “With your and Kakashi-kun’s permission.”  
  
Sakumo stood up in all haste, scurried around the room in search of a pen, and almost ripped it from Minato’s hand when he offered his own. The man signed it less than gracefully, but the signature was unmistakable. _Hatake Sakumo._ It said.  
  
With a shaky breath, Sakumo read through the form one more time, making sure that everything was in order. Once done, he looked up, eyes turning misty before he practically threw himself at the two stunned blonds.  
  
He hugged them tightly, whispering ‘thank you’, ‘thank you’, ‘thank you’, over and over again.  
  
Kakashi would be safe with them.  
  
Everything was going to be alright.  


##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Yellow Dyad Christmas](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/51/6/1514064777-merrychristmas.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Battle Pose](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/5/1514587777-badassss.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Gale Palm](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514652748-badasss2.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Don't read that!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514670932-oh.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Mine](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665400-mine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Fluff](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665403-fluff.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[You smell good](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/01/4/1515085473-u-smell-good.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Come On!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/06/5/1518207504-comeon.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Valentine surprise!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/07/3/1518636770-happy-st-valentine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto& Minato](https://ivyshion.deviantart.com/art/Naruto-and-Minato-737486361) By [Ivy_Shion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivy_Shion/pseuds/Ivy_Shion)**

**♡ඩ⌔ඩ♡**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, 72 chapters of MinaNaru. YAS! *wiggle dance* └|ﾟεﾟ|┐
> 
> And, you guys, I scanned through the Naruto fics yesterday (using hits) and I noticed that this fic is almost on the FIRST page. I mean, what, haha. It's all thanks to you guys and your awesomeness! Thank you so much for sticking with me and my retarded update schedule! Much love! (´∀｀)♡


	73. Dignity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially completed my first year at Uni! As such, I died for the past week, and now I'm back once more. Hopefully, a little bit rested. I know this chapter has been a very late one, but with all my exams and general death-state, it had to be placed on the side for the time being. 
> 
> However, here it is! I hope you enjoy, and many apologies for the delay!

The first thing Kakashi noticed upon waking was that he felt like absolute _dog_ _crap_. His ribs were screaming _bloody_ _murder_ , his shoulder was less than _stellar,_ and his head felt like he’d spent **far** too much time with his former classmates. In short, Kakashi half-heartedly contemplated an early retirement just about a second and a half after waking up.  
  
Unsurprisingly, the first thing he managed to intelligently utter was a pathetic groan of, “Ow…”  
  
Meanwhile, Naruto felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. Now that Kakashi was awake, although in pain, a weight lifted off his shoulders. Feeling pain was a good thing. It meant that he was alive and well enough to register the pain in the first place.  
  
“Kakashi!” Sakumo leapt up from his chair, immediately towering over the small boy who still struggled to open his bleary and crusted eyes. “You’re okay. You’re in the hospital.” He placed a hand on his silver hair.  
  
Kakashi groaned again, his head rolling to the side before he grimaced from the throbbing pain in his head. It felt like he’d rammed his head into a tree. _Oh wait,_ he _had_ rammed his head into a tree- _after_ getting a couple of kicks to it first. How completely and utterly  _pathetic!_  
  
His chest suddenly tightened at the thought, twisting like a too tight knot of a rope while his lungs began to burn like liquid fire.  
  
He was _supposed_ to be a _shinobi!_ A shinobi who was supposed to protect his team and his village and _N-Nanami-sa-_  
  
“Oi,” The familiar voice froze his derailing thoughts, and he quickly snapped his eyes open in startled surprise. The building panic attack ebbed away like water, and a deep lung of warm air rolled passed his lips as he sank deeper into his bed. His attention then moved to the foot of his bed, ignoring his fretting father in favour of locking eyes with Naruto. “Whatever you were just thinking; it’s stupid and wrong.” The blond jounin said flatly, “Quit it before you throw yourself into a panic attack.”  
  
Kakashi swallowed thickly, his throat dry and sore. He was not really listening to the reprimand Minato gave Naruto who in turn wasn’t paying attention to his partner either. The two of them kept their eyes on each other instead, preoccupied with the situation at hand. Nobody else seemed to notice the silent conversation passing between them. Not yet anyway.  
  
“Better?” Naruto smirked knowingly.  
  
Taking a deep, and surprisingly steady breath, Kakashi nodded once in confirmation. “Thank you, Naruto-san.” He rasped, grateful for having been spared a somewhat humiliating display of uncontrolled emotion.  
  
With a look of approval, Naruto nodded, “Good. Listen up, kid. I’m going to give you an order.” Kakashi’s eyes steeled with determination before nodding once more, “The next time you wake up after being unconscious, you will assess the damage to your own body first and foremost. Once you’ve done that, you will make sure you’re in an environment that’s not hostile. You’ll do this by using your nose, ears and chakra. Next, you will count to a hundred backwards to make sure you have a calm state of mind so you can prevent build-ups to similar panic attacks such as the one you almost succumbed to. Think you can do that?” He pressed, though not unkindly.  
  
“Understood.” He said automatically, his mind already committing the order to memory. Now that his mind was preoccupied with other things, he wasn’t drowning in memories of a war he wasn’t equipped to handle.  
  
Meanwhile, Sakumo felt his eyes widen in wonder. He’d never seen his son so quick to respond or switch from one state of mind to another. In his bewilderment, he turned to Minato who was watching Naruto with a similar expression to his own. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who’d missed whatever had passed between Naruto and Kakashi.  
  
He felt a shiver slide over his back as he thought about the fact that, if Kakashi accepted their proposal, he would become the Dyad’s student… but more importantly; _Naruto’s_ student. If this was a mere preview of what their dynamic would be like, then he shuddered to think how in sync they’d become with a couple of years down the line. Not to mention, Naruto clearly knew what he was doing.  
  
It was with a sense of bittersweet approval that Sakumo stepped back from the hospital bed. Whether he liked it or not, Kakashi was going to change and morph into a proper shinobi henceforth. It was partly his fault since he’d trained Kakashi since he could walk. Now he had to pay the price for his stupidity.  
  
“Do you have the energy to talk for a while, Kakashi-kun?” Naruto continued, eyes still firmly set upon the small silver-haired and five-year-old boy. Kakashi made to open his mouth but promptly shut it again with a click when the blond furrowed his brows in a subtle and warning glare, “And don’t lie. If you’re too tired, say so. Never lie to my face.”  
  
Minato instantly felt tongue-tied. He realised he didn’t understand the relationship between the two of them at all, but whatever it was that Naruto was doing… Kakashi was _responding_ to it. However, it made something deep inside of him slightly unsettled. There was _no way_ Naruto didn’t have experience doing this sort of thing. Not only could he whip _Maito_ _Dai_ into shape- a shinobi who’d been making a mess of missions for _decades_ , but he could also argue and snap at the _Hokage_ \- calling him out on the orders he gave his own shinobi.  
  
Minato bit his tongue, preventing him from voicing any of his confusion aloud. When he looked at Naruto, he saw him stand tall and proud. Like a man that demanded respect and the attention of those present. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen it, but it was the first time he’d gotten enough time to truly reflect on its actual existence. It raised more questions than Minato was comfortable admitting.  
  
He’d always known that Naruto was special. Amazing, even, but when he took a step back and analysed his partner and boyfriend’s actions, a lot of things struck him as very… odd. Whatever Naruto experienced during his childhood, it was bigger than he initially suspected. There was more than one secret shrouding Naruto, of that he was now sure.  
  
However, as he’d promised upon entering into a partnership with him, he would have to settle and accept that fragments and small pieces of Naruto’s real life was all that he was getting. There was not nearly enough for a coherent picture, but it was taking the shape of… _something_. The problem was; he didn’t know if what he was seeing was a good thing or not.  
  
Sakumo, again, stared at Naruto and Kakashi, mystified at the strange but straight-forward relationship they had with one another. It was clear to him, at least, that Kakashi respected Naruto something _fiercely_. There was no other reason he’d listen to the man with such unnerving amount of attention if that weren’t the case.  
  
“Just a short while…” Kakashi murmured, seemingly ashamed to admit that he was currently weak and tired. Especially in the presence of some of the best shinobi in the village. After that battle, Naruto and Minato would undoubtedly be famous inside of the village.  
  
“Mina and I have a proposition for you.” Naruto loosely crossed his arms, back straight and shoulders relaxed. Seeing that he had Kakashi’s attention- he continued, “With your approval, we’d like to extend an offer of a Mentorship to the both of us for an undetermined amount of time. Do you accept?”  
  
The silence that followed was more than a _little_ pregnant.  
  
“What?” The genin finally gaped, though he was beyond the point of caring because _ohmygodwhatthefuahoirwh!?_  
  
The corner of Naruto’s lips twitched, and a small grin began to take shape, “Do you. Want to be. Our. Student?”  
  
It was with amusement that the two blonds watched Kakashi turned to his father, bewildered and speechless. Said man merely smiled, nodded his head and silently confirmed the legitimacy of the offer.  
  
Kakashi’s head snapped toward the blonds, eyes wild- only to slam it straight onto his own knees as he shouted a rather loud, “Please, take care of me! Naruto-sensei! Minato-sensei!”  
  
Minato blinked, glanced at Naruto and noticed that the teenager was looking at him as well. They smiled softly and turned towards their new student.  
  
“Awesome.” The Dyad grinned.

* * *

  
  
Sabaku no Hitoshi was a man whose reputation preceded him. He was a proud man who ruled Suna with a calm and stoic façade. His calculated decisions were always made with care and consideration for what was best for his village. Perhaps it was the pressure from the council that ultimately caused him to approve of the attack plan for Konoha, or maybe it was the fact that he’d known Kosuke- Chiyo’s son, ever since he was young and they studied in the Academy together. They were friends… _more_ than friends.  
  
However, that didn’t matter. Not anymore.   
  
Hitoshi flicked his wrist to the side, dismissing the ANBU in the office and waited patiently until they left. Once alone, he allowed his hands to tremble as the reality of the news sunk in. They’d lost. They’d lost so terribly that there was barely any of his major bulk of troops left from the Konoha front, and those that were alive were now prisoners of war.  
  
Chiyo had led them straight into an ambush that’d rendered the entire forest into cinders and ash along with his shinobi. To make matters even worse; Konoha had barely lost any of their troops in the confrontation. Due to the assistance of Uzushio and if rumours were to be believed; the Yellow Maelstrom- who also happened to be a blasted Sage and apparently a damn Daimaō in the arts of trap-making, the outcome of the fight had been decided before it even began.  
  
Now all that was left of the whole shameful affair was a damned letter from the Hokage, a man who Hitoshi loathed for his arrogance and uncompromising attitude, that demanded a complete surrender unless he wanted to have the rest of his shinobi executed.  
  
Hitoshi knew he’d lost. He knew he’d have to swallow his pride if he wanted his nephew to come back home alive. If Rasa died, his brother would curse him from beyond the grave. Not to mention, Rasa was a Magnet Release of the like that hadn’t been seen since his own generation. Losing him was out of the question. The young man was to be his successor once the time was right. Protecting the Kazekage clan took precedence to the absolute shit-storm the council would kick up at the mere mention of surrendering to Konoha. But the situation had gone beyond repair at this point.  
  
It was time to salvage what could be salvaged and to accept defeat with what little dignity he had left.  
  
As much as he’d want to put all the blame on Chiyo; he was the one that ultimately signed the papers and gave it a stamp of approval. Certainly, Chiyo held responsibility for stupidly marching his entire force into a damn ambush, but he was a Kage, and as such, he carried the brunt of the blame no matter what happened or what caused a failure to occur.  
  
It was _his_ fault. And that’s how all other nations would perceive it. No matter what.  
  
The price Suna now had to pay for their failed attempt at revenge and to win ground in Konoha was a steep one. A complete surrender was the first demand Konoha made. This much was expected. Neither one of them would gain anything from continuing a fight that would lead to nothing more than bloodshed and more bad blood between the two nations. Sure, Konoha could take land from Suna, but they would have no use of empty sandbanks of scorching desert.  
  
The second demand was a hard one to swallow. Konoha demanded a treaty that did little to improve their relations or situation, but instead forced Suna into a position of where they would forever be unable to raise arms against the Land of Fire unless they wanted to declare open war once more… In which case Uzushio and Konoha would march their forces into the Land of Wind and decimate it completely.  
  
The worst part of it all was that Hitoshi knew that together with Uzushio, along with the rumoured Gold Cloak that had taken out almost the entire Kiri fleet, the threat was far from an empty one. He was also made acutely aware that Uzushio now held Suna in contempt for the shinobi they lost in the confrontation. To have a nation of Seal Masters as your enemy already spelt disaster. Hitoshi was not about to make it worse if he was able.  
  
The third demand concerned his shinobi. They would be returned to Suna three months from the day they arrived in the village hidden in the leaves. They would be alive but not necessarily treated for all their injuries, and Hitoshi supposed that was fair. Treating the wounds of their enemies that had cut down loved one… He was lucky they weren’t all killed. Also, for the sake of future relations, Konoha would not claim the Suna bloodlines as a Prize of War. Which meant that the Magnet Release, the Scorch Release, the Puppet Techniques and a multitude of other techniques would remain closely kept secrets still.  
  
However, the fourth demand stung bitterly. A hefty fine to pay for the damages done to Konoha’s and Uzushio’s military. In a way, this was the worst of all demands, but also a demand that was common practice in situations such as this. Suna was already low on funds, and that was one of the reasons they had tried so hard to get a piece of land from the Land of Fire. Suna’s economy was at an all-time low, and with the ongoing drought, things were not looking good for his country or village.  
  
If Suna didn’t pay, the Wind Daimyo would be forced to redirect the missions that fed into Suna’s economy and give them to Konoha until they’d paid off their debt. Because, as it was, a debt such as this would go beyond the shinobi villages. It would affect all parts of the country. The shinobi villages were the military strength of the various nations around the world. That meant that if Suna fucked up, it would be part of the Wind Daimyo’s responsibility to uphold the demands made by the victor’s nation.  
  
All in all, the loss would be something that would affect all his people. Be they civilian or not. Because of this, Suna was in for a rough few years to come.  
  
However, the war with Iwa was still not over. But judging by the state of his military, it could very quickly end since they now lacked in more than numbers. Yet, the war with Iwa they could not afford to lose. If they did, Suna would have nothing short to offer aside from their very own Bijuu. The problem was; that Iwa was a greedy nation, and would thus take land for the sake of taking it. Losing that on top of everything else would be unthinkable.  
  
No, he had to settle the war with Iwa quickly, and resolve the issue and forced treaty from Konoha as smoothly as possible.  
  
Decided, Hitoshi reached for a blank piece of paper and began to write down a reply for the Hokage. Each word stung and burned like acid, but he continued to write none the less. It had to be done. Dignity, honour and pride be damned.  
  
Once finished, the Kazekage raised his voice, “Mayumi!”  
  
A woman in her late forties opened the door to his office, her glasses resting atop of the bridge of her nose. “Kazekage-sama, you called me?”  
  
With lips pressed into a thin line, Hitoshi nodded and held out the message he’d written, “This is to be delivered to the Hokage immediately. No delays.” She took the letter with a frown of confusion. As such, the powerful Kage turned around in his chair and looked at the setting sun, “The war with Konoha is over." he said, "We’ve lost.”  
  
He heard her gasp sharply, but then she bowed- back stiff and tense. “At once, Kazekage-sama!”  
  
As the door closed behind her, Hitoshi absently wondered how everything had gone so wrong so quickly.

* * *

  
  
Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru crowded around a single table and a lone map within a meagre tent at the centre of their new encampment. So far, the battlefront was stable. All things considered. Though, the three of them were quite sure that the only reason that was the case was that the Raikage wasn’t leading the charge on his own. If he had, then it would have been considerably more challenging to keep everything under control. That wasn’t to say, however, that it was easy.  
  
The tactics that Kumo was using caught many of their troops unaware. With an occasional encounter with the retreating Iwa, it took everything the three of them had to keep their losses at the bare minimum.  
  
Nothing was made easier by the fact that each of them was aware that this was merely the beginning of another World War that would, by far, be the worst of all of them. It made their efforts feel pointless and void. The first time Jiraiya fought through the war he’d been doing so with the hope that everything would be alright in the end. That once it was over, it would be the beginning of a long era of peace and prosperity.  
  
But that was not so. Not even close. Once the war wrapped up, it would give way to a year or two of pathetic attempts of peace treaties and useless peace-talks with the smaller nations. The damage the minor countries had suffered during the Second Shinobi World War was not anything to scoff at. Their lands were devastated and not much remained of their economy that had been run through the gutter and then spat on by all but themselves.  
  
Jiraiya did not blame them for their anger and resentment. He too would have been hard-pressed to forgive someone who had destroyed _everything_ he held dear. It was a feeble effort, he knew, but he couldn’t help but apologise each time he passed a village that’d been destroyed by their forces or their enemies- it didn’t matter in the end. It never did. The people who’d lost everything looked at them as if though they were all the same. As if they were all cut from the same foul and filthy cloth.  
  
And in a way, Jiraiya supposed that they were.  
  
The only comfort Jiraiya had was that he knew that the world would ultimately heal after having gone through so many hardships. Naruto, Gaara, Darui, Kurotsuchi and Chojurou made sure of that. It was through their efforts that the world found hope after the Fourth War.  
  
Then again, he doubted it would play out the same this time around. He _prayed_ that it wouldn’t. It would be better. And hopefully, the world would not have to see all the horrors it once had.  
  
“What do you think?” Tsunade asked no one in particular.  
  
Jiraiya snapped out of his derailing thoughts and let out a tired sigh. “I think I’m tired of this damn war. I want it to end.”  
  
“I’m quite certain that wasn’t what she was referring to.” Orochimaru drawled, but he looked understanding and mildly amused. The three of them had grown close over the years. “But I agree. It all seems very pointless at this time. This war serves no purpose anymore.”  
  
“I’d forgotten how tiring it was.” Jiraiya murmured as his eyes locked to a random name on the map. “I feel as if it was easier the last time. Quicker. Less waiting. Here we are… waiting for the next sword to swing at our heads.”  
  
Tsunade’s hand found its way to her teammates as Orochimaru placed his on the broad shoulder of his friend. “All things come to an end.” She assured him softly, “All we can do is hold on for a little while longer.”  
  
“And you won’t be alone. You have us and Naruto and Minato. Don’t forget that.”  
  
Jiraiya turned to Tsunade and then Orochimaru. It struck him then how glad he was that he’d told them the truth, that he’d trusted them enough to share all of his secrets and toils. “Thank you.”  
  
Their moment was abruptly interrupted as the flap of the tent was pulled to the side, and a messenger rushed inside with a scroll held out. “News from Konoha!” The Chunin announced and bowed his head politely. As the scroll left his hand, the man made a quick exit.  
  
Curious, the three of them unwrapped it and spread it open on top of the map. As they read, their eyebrows rose higher and higher on their foreheads until, suddenly, Tsunade snorted so loudly it automatically drew one from Jiraiya and Orochimaru as well.  
  
“I can’t believe them!” She exclaimed, half in shock and the other in disbelief as they stared at the scroll while completely dumbstruck. “They can’t bloody well do anything without ending up smack-down in the middle of something like _that!_ For crying out loud, they just ended the war with Suna!”  
  
At that, laid out so simply, Jiraiya began to chuckle until he full out guffawed at the absurdity of it all. It was ridiculous. Absolutely _ridiculous!_ Only someone with the luck of which Naruto carried like damn armour would cause something like that to happen. Not just that, but Konoha now held the trophy of a victor with little loss or consequence. He could only pity Suna for having been forced to face Naruto and Minato in the open with the Uzukage at their back.  
  
Poor bastards, he shook his head.  
  
“It says here that; in light of the new developments on the Suna front, we’ll receive reinforcements within the week.” Orochimaru pointed at the letters with a smile that was impossible to hide, “I take it that would allow us a break from this place. Hopefully, it will allow us to return to Konoha for a while. I don’t know about either of you, but I’d like to hear this story from the horse’s mouth.”  
  
Tsunade grinned widely, “Can you imagine putting that in our books?”  
  
Orochimaru smiled a little wider (for him) as his mind began to formulate the words he wanted to put down on paper. Meanwhile, Jiraiya settled down, and his grin firmly stuck in place.  
  
Everything would be alright. With Naruto and Minato and the three of them, nothing would be able to get the slip on them. They would protect Konoha, their friends, and the world- one battle at a time.

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Yellow Dyad Christmas](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/51/6/1514064777-merrychristmas.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Battle Pose](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/5/1514587777-badassss.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Gale Palm](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514652748-badasss2.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Don't read that!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514670932-oh.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Mine](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665400-mine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Fluff](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665403-fluff.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[You smell good](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/01/4/1515085473-u-smell-good.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Come On!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/06/5/1518207504-comeon.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Valentine surprise!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/07/3/1518636770-happy-st-valentine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto& Minato](https://ivyshion.deviantart.com/art/Naruto-and-Minato-737486361) By [Ivy_Shion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivy_Shion/pseuds/Ivy_Shion)**

**[Summer Treat](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/26/2/1530040693-summeer.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry) **

**[Orochimaru](https://www.deviantart.com/chiakihamano/art/Orochimaru-The-Yellow-Dyad-fanart-754644241) By [Chiaki_Hamano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiaki_Hamano/pseuds/Chiaki_Hamano)**

**♡ඩ⌔ඩ♡**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter of 'Fumetsu no Yonnin: The Red Maelstrom' is finally back up again. I plan to get all of it edited and published during the course of the summer since I finally have the time to do so. 
> 
> Many happy faces! <3


	74. Waltz to perfection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there and back again. Here I am with a new chapter! Taadaa! *Jazz hands*
> 
> I feel like I say this in every author note I make, BUT I'll say it again: My update schedule is inconsistent. Obviously. HOWEVER! That does not mean I've abandoned this fic. Far from it, in fact. I'm not abandoning this fic. Ever. I'm going to finish it so there is no need to worry about that or keep asking. Sure, the updates come and go, but there are multiple reasons for that: 
> 
> One, I write other stuff as well and dabble in more than one fandom. Two, sometimes I lose motivation and need to take a break from this fic. I mean, I've written over 300k words for this fic alone and in less than a year. That's not even counting all the stuff I'm writing that you're not seeing. Also, I read a lot every day. That takes a lot of my time. I'm also working on editing past fics and re-writing others. 
> 
> But sometimes I simply don't want to write for my fanfics in favour of reading someone else's work. Last year I wrote so much that I didn't read another's work for almost half a year. It also burned me out. I needed a break.
> 
> However, it just so happens that I've finally gotten a Beta for this fic. That means I've got someone to kick my ass when I slack off too much. It also encouraged me to go back to previous chapters and polish them (still working on that). If one compares the latest chapters with the first ones, the writing style has evolved as I've grown as a writer. Overall, it's a lot of work and it takes a lot of time.
> 
> With that said, I want to thank Jezzkaa91 for taking up the ginormous task of editing and proof-reading my fic. Because let's face it, this fic is huge and the number of typos can make a grown man weep. But enough of that!
> 
> Enjoy! <3

In his hand was a simple black ribbon. Alone it carried no particular significance but accompanied by Minato’s stroke of genius; the ribbon was going to change  _everything_. Well, at least so he hoped. The theory was sound enough, but it was another matter entirely to put it into practice.  
  
Naruto peered at the black ribbon curiously. Head tilted a little to the side as he tried to figure out what this new ‘Genius training-method’ for teamwork would entail. Minato had been quite adamant about making sure that their performance was up to snuff. Minato didn’t want to knock his teeth out again, and Naruto himself wasn’t very keen on a repeat performance. It was for that reason that Minato buckled down and began to research training methods for partners. It was only a stroke of luck that he stumbled across a reference to ANBU training while in the dark.  
  
It was a simple training method. However, that didn’t make the actual  _training_ simple.  
  
“Right!” Minato squared his shoulders and held out the ribbon. “I need you to tie this around your eyes.” He then grinned, “We’re going to spar _blindfolded_.”  
  
Naruto blinked a couple of times but then furrowed his brows in thought, “Mina, we’re both sensors. It wouldn’t make a difference if we’re blindfolded or not.”  
  
Minato rolled his eyes but then quickly began to bounce on the back of his heels with barely contained excitement, “I know we are both sensors. But that doesn’t matter because we’re going to spar _blind_. We’re not _using_ chakra, Naru. No senses except for sound, smell and touch.”  
  
“That’s…” He trailed off, his mind going through the benefits of such training and what he could learn from it. In the end, he couldn’t help but simply stare at his grinning partner. “You’re a genius.” A matching grin slowly etched itself onto his face.  
  
“I kept thinking about our fight with Rasa.” Minato began to ramble and gesticulate, “We were a pretty good team, but sometimes we’d lag behind each other because we didn’t know what the other was planning or going to do. I mean, I’m a bit faster than you and sometimes I forget that while in the thick of it. But we also need to learn when to get out of each other’s way so we don’t repeat what happened before, right?”  
  
“That’s true.” Naruto admitted as he scratched his chin in thought, “And I suppose you could say we’re slightly better than average at working together, but we’re still missing that seamlessness that would make it exceptional.” He nodded to himself, “The Sannin are famous for their teamwork because they’ve worked together for so long. They understand each other on a fundamental level and don’t really have to consciously remind themselves to mind their teammates. It’s all subconscious. Like muscle memory.”  
  
“Exactly.” Minato took hold of Naruto’s hand and pressed the black ribbon into his palm. “We need to train ourselves so that we’re always aware of each other on a subconscious level. I know I have a lot to work on, well, both of us do… But I think we can do it if we work together.”  
  
“Of course. We’re partners.” Naruto reached up and tied the ribbon around his head, blocking the sunlight and shrouding his sight with darkness. “So how do you want to do this? Do we use weaponry or what.”  
  
Minato reached for his hand and began leading them to a more open area of the training ground. It wouldn’t do to accidentally run into a tree or stumble over a rock somewhere. They could bring their blind-spar into the forests when they were good enough to not smack each other across the face by accident.  
  
“No weapons, ninjutsu or chakra. Only taijutsu.”  
  
“Alright.”  
  
The two of them stopped in the middle of a large field covered in grass and a rare few patches of pressed soil. There were nobody around to see them, and so Naruto rolled his shoulders to relieve some of the tension he’d gathered since losing his sight. It was more uncomfortable than he realized to not use his chakra to ping his surroundings. It made him feel vulnerable. He was a sensor and as such he relied on his ability to sense others to keep him safe. Not being able to use it was like cutting off a limb. Though, he supposed that only proved Minato’s theory that they relied _too much_ on chakra and not each other. They had to learn _each other_ in order to work better together.  
  
“Ready?” Minato asked as he settled into a relaxed offensive stance.  
  
Naruto nodded, but then smiled sheepishly, “Ready.”  
  
As it turns out, Naruto wasn’t ready. Because the moment he said so, Minato delivered a quick jab to his shoulder that made him stumble backwards.  
  
“Ow!”  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Minato cried.  
  
“I-It’s fine… Just, lemme- Alright. Let’s try again. One more time.”  
  
A smack echoed across the grounds and was quickly followed by a curse.  
  
“Did you _have_ to smack me across the face?” Naruto whined and held his red cheek.  
  
“I thought you’d dodge! It wasn’t very fast.” Minato argued.  
  
“Apparently it was fast enough. Let me start this time?”  
  
“Oh, alright. Tell me when you’re ready.”  
  
Naruto pressed his lips into a thin line as he concentrated on his partner’s breathing. He raised his arms into a simple boxing stance; elbows close to his body and hands curled into fists. “Ready.” He said, satisfied with his position.  
  
“On the count of three.”  
  
“One. Two. Three!”  
  
With a fist, Naruto delivered a jab straightforward...and straight into Minato’s face. Said teenager yelped and stumbled backwards until he landed on his bum with a soft ‘thud’.  
  
“Oh, shi- Mina!”  
  
“What the hell!” Minato moaned from behind his hand, his nose suspiciously wet and warm. It also hurt like a bitch. “I think you broke my nose!”  
  
“Shit- That, That was _not_ my intention!” Naruto began to fret as he stepped forward, crouched down and promptly knocked his forehead into Minato’s. Resulting in another round of curses and complaints.  
  
“J-just stop moving!”  
  
“Fine, fine!”  
  
“Did you stop moving?”  
  
“I stopped moving.”  
  
“Ouch… I think I’m bleeding.”  
  
“I’m sorry. Does it hurt a lot?”  
  
“No, well, _yes_ , but it’s okay. I can handle it. Are you alright?”  
  
“I’m fine.”  
  
“That didn’t go as planned.”  
  
“No… it was a bit of a disaster.”  
  
“...Great.”  
  
“Hey, don’t be like that. It was a great idea. I still think it is. We’re just getting started, right? It’s bound to be difficult in the beginning. We just have to keep going. And maybe start with something easier. Like, I don’t know… something less violent. Maybe.”  
  
Minato sighed, “Any ideas?”  
  
“Erm… Well, I suppose I have one. But it’s sort of silly. Nevermind. You’re better at this than I am.” Naruto awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.  
  
“No, what is it?” He pressed.  
  
“...” Naruto mumbled something that sounded like a whole lot of nothing.  
  
“What was that?”  
  
“I said ‘We can dance’...”  
  
There was a long moment of silence until Minato snorted. It sounded suspiciously like sucking in snot through his nose. It wasn’t particularly nice and he was happy he couldn’t see anything. “Dance?”  
  
“It was just a thought!” Naruto was quick to defend, “I mean, we’re obviously blind as bats without our chakra to help us with our environmental awareness. If we can learn how we move _before_ we attempt to beat the shit out of each other, then _maybe_ we’ll be able to dodge. Or something.”  
  
“... That’s not actually a bad idea.” Minato admitted as he probed his nose with a tentative finger. He’d need to head for the hospital after practice. “Are you good at dancing?”  
  
“Erm... Not really.” Naruto grimaced, “I guess I could learn?”  
  
“I’m pretty good at dancing. I can teach you if you want?”  
  
“That’d be nice. Let’s try again?”  
  
“Let’s try again.”

* * *

  
  
They didn’t know what they’d expected, but as they stepped through the main gates of Konoha, they were met with a sight that appeared deceptively normal. There was no air of tension hovering over the village and as such, the village appeared to be as it always was. Peaceful. The village people were going about their day and the merchants at the Market were as joyous and loud as always.  
  
It made Jiraiya uneasy. He knew for a fact that, only a few days ago, a large battle had been fought outside of their Capital City. A battle of such scale would have left its marks on the village no matter what. But Konoha showed no signs of having participated in anything outside of the expected.  
  
“I’m not the only one that thinks this is weird, am I?” Jiraiya muttered absently as the three of them walked towards the Hokage Building.  
  
“It’s odd.” Tsunade agreed and turned her attention towards the roof-tops. “There’s a lot of shinobi running around the place. Far more than I’d expected.”  
  
“Which means that either the battle wasn’t very large to begin with and it was exaggerated,” Orochimaru mused thoughtfully, “Or we came out of it better off than expected.”  
  
Jiraiya hummed quietly. Orochimaru had a point. “Let’s see what Sensei has to say about it. Then we’ll find the Gaki’s and hear their side of the story.”  
  
With that, the Sannin allowed the conversation to die as they observed the village in silence. Every once in a while they spotted a shinobi with bandages and newly healed scars, but there were far less of them than normal. Another surprising difference was that several of the shinobi in question seemed quite happy. Perhaps even relieved. Normally people weren’t relieved in the aftermath of a large battle.  
  
Something was strange with the whole affair.  
  
With barely a nod of acknowledgement, the three of them walked past the secretary of the Hokage, continued down the corridor and knocked at their old sensei’s office door.  
  
A muffled _“Enter.”_ Could be heard from within, and prompt them to open the door to deliver their report.  
  
Once inside, Jiraiya took note of the slightly drawn expression on their leaders face. With a look of concern, Jiraiya calmly placed their mission report on the man’s desk, “Our report, sensei.”  
  
Hiruzen gave them a single nod of acceptance, “Good. Your verbal report, if you will.”  
  
Orochimaru started them off, explaining in detail the tactics Kumo utilised while at the same time effectively narrating how they countered and defended their borders to the best of their abilities. Tsunade then continued and spoke about the state of their shinobi, their injuries, their mental health and death toll. Jiraiya pitched into the report upon Kousuke’s arrival at the war front and the message he’d carried from Naruto. Asking for their aid to develop antidotes for the poison commonly used by Suna’s puppet users.  
  
All in all, the report was very typical and by the books. Hiruzen didn’t appear particularly surprised by anything he heard and merely nodded along once in a while. As their report came to an end, the old man let out a small sigh. “Well done.” He said, either not seeing or simply ignoring the worried looks he received from his students. “You’ll receive four days to rest up until I need you again. I’m afraid your vacation will have to wait for a little while longer. I’ll require your aid at the hospital, Tsunade. There are still injured shinobi who’re waiting for treatments. Jiraiya, Orochimaru, the TI department is severely understaffed and your expertise would be much appreciated. Our Suna prisoners are less than cooperative and I’d like them to receive some incentive to behave themselves until the Kazekage bring word of his surrender.”  
  
“Understood.”  
  
Tsunade gave the man a quick once-over and then took a small and hesitant step forward, “Sensei, is everything alright? You look more tired than usual.”  
  
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, seemingly shrinking a couple of inches as he did so. With some effort he reached for his pipe and tobacco, taking his time to light it up and place it by his lips to draw in a lungful of smoke. “Define ‘alright’.” He muttered, unable to help himself.  
  
He’d never been able to hide much from his students. They were far too observant and most of the time, he liked that. Now, however, he didn’t know if he appreciated it or felt uncomfortable. But the simple matter of the fact was that a part of him wanted to speak to someone who’d understand and not judge. Far too many people judged these days and it was hard to cope with. As the Hokage, people expected him to make all the right choices and never falter, but it had become abundantly clear that he made mistakes too. He wasn’t as infallible as he wanted to pretend.  
  
Hiruzen then heard the sound of scraping wood on his office floor, causing him to look up to see that all his students had each taken a seat in front of his desk. It made him smile, despite everything.  
  
With another small puff of smoke and a subtle shift in his chair, Hiruzen let out yet another sigh. This time resigned, “I’m not infallible.” He allowed himself to admit at last, “Even if I’m Hokage, I make mistakes and sometimes I make decisions that my shinobi disagrees with. Some decisions worse than others.” A tired but stiff smile, which looked a tad bit more like a grimace, appeared on his face, “I made such a decision recently and it weighs heavy on my heart and mind. It’s made me question how I see certain things in this world.” He smiled sadly at the confused and mildly worried Sannin, “I find myself… old.”  
  
“You’re not that old, sensei.” Tsunade narrowed her brows, “A couple of wrinkles here and there but nothing more than expected.”  
  
Hiruzen’s smile turned fond and a little amused, “Perhaps _old-fashioned_ is a more accurate description.”  
  
“What specifically made you think this?” Orochimaru looked thoughtful and curious. He wasn’t much for sentiment if he could help it. Though it did make him mildly uncomfortable to see his sensei so worn.  
  
“As you may have heard, the battle outside of Hi no Machi was a success.” He then added mildly, “To say the _least_. We didn’t lose many of our forces in the confrontation. About a hundred or so dead from our side, which includes Uzu-nin, and over four-hundred on Suna’s.”  
  
Jiraiya felt himself gape just a little. He wasn’t alone as a pair of brown and yellow eyes widened a fraction to match.  
  
“I know,” Hiruzen acknowledged their disbelief with a matching one of his own, “Uzumaki Naruto, Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Nagato, and Uzumaki Kushina discovered Suna’s plans and informed me mere hours after their arrival at the western borders. They then set out to intercept them to the Capital. As Arashi-sama and I gathered what little forces we had available in Konoha, the four of them prepared an ambush to hinder their advance to the city. Needless to say… they were successful. It wasn’t much of a fight when over two-thirds of their forces were suffering from third-degree burns, shattered eardrums and temporary vision impairment from chili-bombs. Either way,” He turned his attention to his pipe as he began to chew softly on its tip, “We didn’t have a lot of our forces stationed in Konoha at the ready. The majority were chunin and genin.”  
  
“Sensei…” Tsunade felt her blood run cold, “You sent genin out there, didn’t you?”  
  
Hiruzen said nothing, but he didn’t have to. The answer was clear as day.  
  
“The ones who died,” She continued but closed her mouth when Jiraiya shook his head in an effort to halt her question. Their sensei didn’t need to hear something he always knew.  
  
“Arashi-sama was _mild_ about it when we spoke.” He admitted dryly, “Too polite to openly disapprove. Naruto-kun…” He trailed of and almost winced at the memory, “Not so much.”  
  
“Sensei,” Jiraiya sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “What happened? I know Naruto can blow up pretty badly when he’s angry about something, but he’d never do that to you unless it was personal.”  
  
With an unnervingly even look, Hiruzen met Jiraiya’s gaze with his own, “He found Kakashi-kun on death’s door and took personal offense to my decision,” Jiraiya leaned back in his chair. Eyes wide with realization, “And he stated in no uncertain terms, that if I was to send Kakashi-kun out on similar missions in the future, that I was to send my own son as well. After all, _‘He’s already seven’_.”  
  
Orochimaru hummed in thought, ignoring his scandalized teammates, “I suppose I can understand your predicament.” He said to the surprise of those present, “You come from a time when such decisions and orders weren’t looked upon twice, but today it’s different for the younger generations. It’s morally ‘questionable’. There is a growing divide between _you_ and _them_.” Orochimaru then thought of Naruto, “And Naruto is very protective of those he cares about. He can also be quite spiteful when he’s angry. From what I understand, Hatake Kakashi is liked by both of the blonds and it appears the feeling is mutual. Seeing him close to death, as Naruto has seen many of his friends before, must have been quite a shock for him.”  
  
Hiruzen nodded grimly, “Quite. He made sure it wouldn’t happen again by taking the boy on as a student.” He then placed his elbow on the side of his chair and began to rub his tired eyes, “He doesn’t trust me with my own shinobi anymore and I’m not sure if I can blame him.”  
  
Jiraiya, while he agreed with Naruto, suddenly felt very split on the subject. While Naruto was right that Kakashi shouldn’t have been on the battlefield and was justifiably angry, Hiruzen also had to do what was best for the village in a time of war. No matter how distasteful it was, war wasn’t fair and war was ugly and cruel. Could Kakashi have been spared? Of course, but should he have been when other genin with just as much experience in warfare wasn’t? He didn’t know the right answer to that. Kakashi was young, but he was also a genin for a reason.  
  
“So the little brat is Naruto’s student now?” Tsunade tactfully switched the subject, not wanting to push their sensei into speaking more of it.  
  
“Mm, and Minato-kun’s. They’re _sharing_ .” A tinge of amusement twinkled in the old man’s eyes, “Those two never do things the ordinary way.” He said mildly, “Soon they’ll co-captain their teams and finished each other’s sentences. I have a feeling I’ll end up splitting my desk at this point.”  
  
Jiraiya smirked, “Thinking of a successor already, old man?”  
  
Hiruzen huffed a laugh, “The thought has struck my mind. At first, I wanted it to be one of you three,” His eyes turned to his raven-haired student and lingered. But yet again he found the same thing he’d noticed several times over the last couple of years whenever the topic arose: indifference. “But none of you seem interested.”  
  
“They are the logical choice.” Orochimaru offered with a dismissive flick of his hand. “From what you’ve said yourself on numerous occasions; they’re making a name for themselves that rival our own. They are also younger and in time, they will undoubtedly be stronger.”  
  
“Perhaps so.” He said non-committedly, “But that’s still some ways off. Hopefully, once this war ends, they will have time to grow and learn in peace. Until then, it would appear as if I’m stuck behind this desk.”  
  
“Good luck with that.” Jiraiya grinned and rose from his chair, “Well, if there’s nothing else I’m off to find the gaki’s. Gotta hear about their newest escapades.”  
  
“You do that.”

* * *

  
  
“That was close.” Jiraiya muttered as they stepped through the gates to Minato’s and Naruto’s usual training grounds, “He cuts it close with his actions at times. For better or worse, he’s still very impulse when he’s angry.”  
  
Orochimaru’s lips pressed into a thin line, “Indeed. He forgets himself when he becomes emotional.”  
  
“But it could have been a lot worse.” Tsunade reminded, “He could have blown up completely and done something stupid. From what I understood, he was more passive-aggressive than outright hostile. So long as he doesn’t threaten anyone, much less sensei, then he should be fine. Isn’t this why we like him in the first place? Because he’s so passionate about the things he cares about?”  
  
“Passionate and reckless are different.” Orochimaru allowed his gaze to wander across the training ground, hoping to spot the two blonds. “It’s lucky sensei took his words to heart instead of taking personal offense. The outcome would have been vastly different if that were the case.”  
  
“I think they’re this way.” Jiraiya pointed to the east section of the area, “It feels like they’re cloaking parts of their chakra.”  
  
Without further ado, the three of them took to the trees and set out to find their wayward knuckleheads. They had a lot to talk about and catching up to do. Not to mention, they needed all the details of the battle for their book.  
  
As they finally reached the edge of the forest and the beginning of the open fields, Orochimaru, Tsunade and Jiraiya came to an abrupt halt. In the distance, there were two blond teenagers moving across the ground, both hand-in-hand as they moved from one side to the other with long strides. To make the sight even stranger, the both of them were blindfolded and quite heavily bruised and ruffled.  
  
“Are they waltzing!?” Tsunade queried with a snort of laughter.  
  
“What are they doing?” Jiraiya seemed equally perplexed. He’d always known that the two of them were strange at times, but this was plain _weird_.  
  
“Dancing,” Orochimaru replied mildly, voice barely able to conceal his own amusement. “It would seem.”  
  
As if prompt by the obvious, Naruto tripped over his own feet, effectively causing Minato to do the same… and then they fell into a heap on the ground.  
  
Tsunade covered her mouth with her hand, eyes shining with amusement as she muffled her laughter, “What the hell are they trying to achieve with that!? They look like idiots!”  
  
In the distance, Naruto groaned in pain as he tried to untangle his limbs from his partners. They’d gotten better… but not by much. If anything, they’d gotten a fine understanding on how it felt to fall over by tripping over their own feet. It was a small mercy that neither of them could see anything. The situation was mortifying enough as it was. The last thing they needed was seeing it happen on top of it all.  
  
“My bruises have bruises,” Minato complained, not even attempting to sit up anymore. “This is hard, Naru…”  
  
“This was your idea.” Naruto felt the need to remind him, because it made him feel a bit better since, for once, it wasn’t _his_ fault.  
  
“You _broke_ my _nose_.”  
  
“I said I was sorry.” He grumbled with a pout as he crawled on his hands and knees until he found his partner. He then laid down next to him. “Let’s take a break?”  
  
“I thought that’s what we were doing?” Minato smiled and reached down to intertwine their fingers. “Do you think it’s working?”  
  
“I know it is.” Naruto moved his head to the side until it rested on Minato’s shoulder. “I’m a bit clumsy, granted, but it’s getting easier. Obviously, we’re not going to learn it over a single day, but we’re definitely improving.”  
  
“You are sort of left-footed, aren’t you?” Minato grinned. In truth, Naruto was pretty terrible at dancing.  
  
“Not everybody can be you.” He huffed but then chuckled, “Can you imagine if anyone saw us right now?”  
  
“Urgh, don’t remind me.” If the Sannin saw them tumbling around the training field like bubbling idiots, they’d never hear the end of it.  
  
“Hooh?” A painfully familiar voice said from above them. Both visibly cringed and slowly raised their hands to uncover their eyes. What met them was three Sannin with shit-eating grins on their face. “Now this is just beautiful.” Jiraiya cooed as a flash went off in their faces.  
  
Tsunade lifted her finger from the trigger on the camera, a scary glint in her eyes. “I wonder how much money this will sell for… hmmm?”  
  
Orochimaru hummed as he peered down at the mortified teenagers, “Is this relevant to your character development, or can I write this off as a severe and momentary lack in your mental facilities?”  
  
Jiraiya cackled, Naruto and Minato hid behind their hands, and Tsunade gleefully took another picture.

##  **Fanart**

**[Uzumaki Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/45/6/1510439697-uzumaki-naruto-yellow-dyad.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Shimpei Taketa](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/5/1510955513-taketa.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto and Kakashi](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/46/7/1511104268-naru-kkashi.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Minato and Naruto](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/48/5/1512164839-minanaru.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Yellow Dyad Christmas](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/51/6/1514064777-merrychristmas.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Battle Pose](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/5/1514587777-badassss.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto Gale Palm](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514652748-badasss2.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Don't read that!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514670932-oh.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Mine](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665400-mine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Sketch - Fluff](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2017/52/6/1514665403-fluff.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[You smell good](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/01/4/1515085473-u-smell-good.png) By [Ellry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Come On!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/06/5/1518207504-comeon.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Valentine surprise!](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/07/3/1518636770-happy-st-valentine.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry)**

**[Naruto& Minato](https://ivyshion.deviantart.com/art/Naruto-and-Minato-737486361) By [Ivy_Shion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivy_Shion/pseuds/Ivy_Shion)**

**[Summer Treat](https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2018/26/2/1530040693-summeer.png) By [Ellry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellry/pseuds/Ellry) **

**[Orochimaru](https://www.deviantart.com/chiakihamano/art/Orochimaru-The-Yellow-Dyad-fanart-754644241) By [Chiaki_Hamano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiaki_Hamano/pseuds/Chiaki_Hamano)**

**♡ඩ⌔ඩ♡**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always: Thank you for reading and for your support!! I can scarcely believe I have 1600 subs on this fic. Ever since I posted this fic online it has literally exploded in my face. And it's great!
> 
> I also want to encourage you to check out the new fanart! They're all brilliant and I'm in love with every single one of them. 
> 
> On a side note to this: I'd like to announce that there are two new One-shots uploaded as well. 'Wicked Mors' and 'My Anbu.' 
> 
> Now I'm off to weep and edit the Fumetsu fic again. Toodles!


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